Seniors Karl Walker and Andrew Peterson led the Bruins to a successful homecoming night as they upset the #1 ranked Kentucky Christian University Knights 3-0 on Saturday. Nearly 3,000 fans packed into Alumni Stadium for the match. This was the second straight weekend the Bruins knocked off the #1 ranked team in NCCAA DII.
The Bruins came out in the first half with a sense of urgency, riding the energy of the home crowd. "The speed of play and the ball movement in the first twenty-five minutes gave us the momentum we needed," Bruins Head Coach Jesse McCormick said. "Our freshman came out and were fantastic. They kept the energy level up and helped us continue to be successful."
The Bruins had several chances early on as they were able to use good combination play to create open looks. The Bruins opened up the scoring in the 34thminute as freshman Sebastian Sulik received a pass from Karl Walker. Sulik settled the ball, made a beautiful move and drew a foul inside the box. Walker took the PK for the Bruins and buried it to put the team up 1-0.
Just minutes later, Walker struck again as Jesse Rush had a beautiful set piece giving Walker his second goal of the game. The Knights had chances of their own, but the half ended with the Bruins up 2-0.
The Bruins continued to keep the pressure on the Knights in the second half, creating chances and forcing the Knight's defense to make plays. In the fiftieth minute, Sebastian Sulik was fouled in the box for the second time in the game. The Bruins sent senior striker Andrew Peterson to take the second penalty kick of the game. He was able to fool the Knight's keeper, giving the Bruins a 3-0 early in the second half.
After the goal, the Knights quickly tried to answer. But the Bruins defense was able to stifle the momentum and keep the Knights off the scoreboard for the rest of the game as the match ended 3-0.
Coach McCormick had high praise for his seniors Karl Walker, Jacob Kester and Andrew Peterson after the game. "The play from our seniors tonight was huge," McCormick said. "They all have their unique talents. But at the end of the day they all have been completely committed to the program and have been team players during their careers."
The Bruins out shot the Knights 33-10 including a 12-3 on-goal margin. The Bruins once again received a strong effort from keeper Isaac Landry as he recorded three saves and posted a clean sheet. With the win, the team improves to 4-8-1 on the season.
The Bruins will return to action next Tuesday as the team travels to Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina.
