The Pioneers scored an early goal and the Bruins couldn't find the answer as the team dropped their 2018 home opener on Saturday night 1-0 at Alumni Stadium. "We took some good steps forward tonight," Bruins Head Coach Jesse McCormick said. "Our guys didn't get down on each other and we responded well."
After splitting their preseason scrimmages with a win an a loss, the Bruins were excited to open the 2018 regular season of play at home. Over 1,400 fans were ready to cheer on their hometown team as a new season was set to begin.
In the opening minutes, the Pioneers came out strong as they used good passing to move into the attacking third. The Bruins defense was able to handle the pressure as they cleared out several chances early on. In the 12th minute of play, the Pioneers went on top as a shot off the crossbar fell right to the feet of Jakari Davis who finished the rebound to make it 1-0.
The Bruins tried to claw their way back to tie the game, but the team couldn't seem to find their offensive rhythm as several runs were stopped by an errant pass. As the first half came to a close, the Bruins were able to only muster one shot on frame as they trailed 1-0 at the break.
In the second half, the Bruins came out with some urgency as they were able to find their way into the attacking third. Jesse Rush was able to get a look off a free kick but it was gathered by Pioneers goalie Fabricio Verdun.
The story of the second half was the excellent play by the Bruins defense as the team thwarted opportunities for the Pioneers to score. With the game beginning to draw to a close, the Bruins knew they needed to take chances if they wanted to draw even. The team got their chance as good passing freed up Andrew Peterson and the senior bent a shot towards frame. Unfortunately, it flew just over the crossbar. Despite their efforts, the Bruins couldn't find the equalizer as the final buzzer signaled a 1-0 defeat.
"We didn't do quite what we needed to offensively but defensively we were able to limit them to few good looks," Coach McCormick said. "We did some good things tonight. We stayed mentally engaged on defense and our effort was consistent."
Bruins keeper Isaac Landry had six saves on the night but the Bruins were out shot 23-5 including a 7-1 on-goal margin. With the loss, the Bruins fall to 0-1 on the season. Next up, the team will be on the road next Saturday night as they travel to Demorest, Georgia for a matchup with Piedmont College.
