Two goals in the opening half put the Bruins back on their heels and the team couldn't claw their way back as the St. Andrews University Knights defeated BJU 3-1 on Tuesday night at Alumni Stadium. With the loss, the Bruins fall to 5-10 on the season.
"That was a tough loss," Bruins Head Coach Matt Hotchkin said. "It was tough mainly because we didn't give our best tonight. We looked overwhelmed and couldn't seem to find a collective effort."
The Bruins came into the game having won four of their last five games, including a win on Friday night on the road against Johnson and Wales University. The Knights came into Tuesday's game at 2-10-2 having played to a 0-0 draw against Point University on Saturday.
From the opening kickoff, the Knights came out with urgency as they created scoring chances on frame. It didn't take SAU long to find the back of the net as Ruben Vaca shot from the top of the 18-yard box, threading the ball between Bruins keeper Isaac Landry and the left-hand post to make it 1-0.
The Bruins were back on their heels and the team had trouble regaining their composure and maintaining possession. The Knights were able to execute quick passing and struck again in the 24th minute off a goal from Gabriel Cavalheiro to make it 2-0. The Bruins were able to create several scoring chances in the remainder of the half, but the team couldn't capitalize as they trailed at halftime.
As the second half began, it was the Bruins who came out with urgency and finally broke into the scoring column as Jesse Rush found Conley Burk for the goal. Burk quickly cut around the first defender, then dribbled in to take his shot. With the defender right beside him and the keeper stepping out of the box, Burk shot lower left corner and scored to make it 2-1.
The goal gave the Bruins life, but the Knights came right back with quickness and urgency as they created scoring chances. The Bruins struggled to maintain possession and struggled to keep the Knights from taking the ball away.
It wasn't until the last minute of the game that someone scored again. The Bruins were pushed up high on a counterattack. The Knights won the ball and countered quickly. The Bruins had one man back, although others dropped quickly but not quickly enough. Cavalheiro took the ball to the 18-yard box, cut back from the defensive lines, and scored his second goal of the night as the Knights ended any chance of a comeback to win the game 3-1.
"We can't make any excuses as we have a couple of tough games next week," Coach Hotchkin said. "We will bounce back from this and give a renewed effort on Monday night."
The Knights out shot the Bruins 18-8 in the game including a 7-2 on goal margin. Conley Burk netted his fourth goal of the season while Jesse Rush recorded his fourth assist.
Next up, the Bruins wrap up the 2019 season on the road on October 31 as they face North Greenville University in Tigerville, South Carolina.
