Jake McLelland's goal proved to be the difference in tonight's rivalry matchup as the Pensacola Christian College Eagles downed the BJU Bruins 1-0 at Alumni stadium. Tonight's victory gives PCC their second win in a row over the Bruins, giving PCC a 2-1 record over the Bruins in the rivalry between the two soccer programs.
The Bruins did a good job of moving the ball and creating chances all game long, outshooting the Eagles 15-11. Unfortunately, the Bruins were never able to translate those shots into goals despite several high quality chances.
"We had a lot more of the ball," said Coach Jesse McCormick. "I felt like we dominated the game, but couldn't finish the chances we had. They had a few chances, but were able to capitalize on one of those and that was the difference" Bruins Head Coach Jesse McCormick.
The first half began with each side trading possessions, neither side finding an advantage over the other. Midway through the first half, the Bruins began to push the ball into the attacking third, generating multiple scoring opportunities. The most notable scoring opportunity came when Andrew Peterson fielded a pass inside the box in the twenty-sixth minute. Peterson was able to create some space, but just overshot the goal.
Towards the end of the half, the Eagles began to build some momentum. The Bruins defense, highlighted by the strong goalie play of Isaac Landry, held strong as the half ended with a score of 0-0.
In the second half, the Eagles came out strong as they moved the ball into the attacking third. The lone goal of the match came in the 54th minute as Eagles' midfielder Kendall Mullinax fired a shot off the post. Forward Jake McClelland was able to obtain possession off of the ricochet, beating two Bruin defenders to the ball. McClelland finished the play with rebound goal to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
The Bruins began to turn up the intensity after the goal, maintaining possession and creating numerous chances. The Bruins battled all the way to the final buzzer. With twenty five seconds to go and the crowd on their feet, a Karl Walker cross found David Young wide open in the box. Young's touch sent the ball just over the net. Moments later, time expired as the Eagles sent over 1,300 Bruins fans home disappointed.
Despite dominating possession for most of the game, Coach McCormick is looking to see some improvements from his team heading into next week. "It's good to keep the ball, but we got to have a change of speed when we get into the attacking third," Coach McCormick said.
With the loss, the Bruins fall to 2-6-1 on the season. Next week, the Bruins will look to rebound off the emotional loss as they host Montreat College at eight o'clock at Alumni Stadium.
