Box Score
The Bruins men's soccer team was eliminated from the NCCAA DII South Region Tournament on Thursday night as the team fell to #2 ranked Trinity Baptist College 1-0 at Alumni Stadium.
"In the end, they played more consistent than we did and were able to come away with the victory," Bruins Head Coach Jesse McCormick said. "They started better than we did. We really have to have confidence in the final third, to attack, but also just be composed on the ball."
The Bruins came into the tournament with the #3 seed. The Bruins and Eagles met earlier in the season with the match ending in a 1-1 draw. Both teams traded opportunities in the first half, but neither was able to score. Marvell Lareche had an opportunity early on, but his shot went wide. The first half ended with the score tied 0-0.
In the second half, the two teams looked to find the upper hand as each knew one goal could be the only one scored in the match. The Bruins really struggled to consistently possess the ball in the attacking third as the Eagles were able to break up offensive runs. The Bruins continued to limit the Eagles on offense as well as the second half wore on.
At the midway point of the second half, the Eagles finally found the back of the net as Youlormans Hilaire finished a shot from point blank range to put TBC up 1-0. Playing from behind, the Bruins tried to move into position to find the equalizer. They got a great chance late in the match as Jared Simmons created space and fired a rocket just over the crossbar. The buzzer ended the Bruins chances at a comeback as the Eagles were able to hold on for a 1-0 victory.
Andrew Kester had a brilliant game for the team with 12 saves on the night. The Bruins were out shot 17-9 in the match including a 13-5 margin in shots on goal. With the loss, the Bruins move to 4-12-1 on the season. Despite the disappointing result, not all is lost for the Bruins. Because BJU is hosting the national tournament, the team will receive an automatic bid to compete. The Bruins will await final seed for the national tournament which will begin November 15.
