The Bruins saw their five-game winning streak come to an end on Monday night as Erskine College notched two second-half goals, including the game-winner with just thirty seconds to play as BJU fell 2-1 at Alumni Stadium. With the loss, the Bruins fall to 7-5 on the season.
"We just lost our composure and our rhythm," Bruins Head Coach Chris Carmichael said. "Erskine came out with a lot of energy and we were disorganized and touches were bad in the offensive side. Erskine played well to the end and got the goal they needed. It is what it is and we have to move on and bounce back with the two more games we have this week."
The Bruins were excited to be back on their home pitch after playing seven of their last eight games on the road. The team was coming into the game after a dramatic victory over South Carolina State University on Friday. Erskine came into the game having dropped two of their last three games and were looking to get back on track.
In the opening minutes, the Bruins came out and possessed well as they were able to find scoring lanes in the Fleet defense. It didn't take long for the Bruins to find the back of the net as Brinkley Adams split the defenders with a through pass to Mikayla Rajcan who buried the shot to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.
As the first half continued, the Bruins continued to possess well as they created several more scoring chances. The Flying Fleet nearly equalized after a deflected shot fell right to the feet of Anna Smith, but her shot sailed over top of the net. Both teams created chances, but the score remained in favor of the Bruins as the first half came to a close.
In the second half, the Flying Fleet came out with urgency as they possessed the ball well and created shots on frame. The Bruins defense stood strong and Angelina Martin came up with several saves to keep Erskine off the board. Still, the Flying Fleet continued to pressure the Bruins with shots on frame.
With the match nearing its end, Erskine finally broke through as a goal from Devyn Cabral tied the game at 1-1 in the 71st minute. The Bruins were back on their heels, but looked to gain the upper hand again as they went back on the attack. Erskine's defense stood as the Bruins couldn't find a sustained offensive attack.
The Flying Fleet weren't done as they scored the game-winning goal with just thirty seconds left to play off the foot of Katie Cauble as Erskine went on to defeat the Bruins in heartbreaking fashion 2-1.
"It's a tough loss to lose in the last thirty seconds of a game," Coach Carmichael said. "We have to move on and come back strong with the pedal to the metal tomorrow against Toccoa."
Mikayla Rajcan netted her second goal of the season while Brinkley Adams picked up her first assist. The Bruins were outshot 18-13 in the match while Angelina Martin made eight saves for the team.
Next up, the Bruins will be back in action on Tuesday night as they welcome region-rival Toccoa Falls College to Alumni Stadium. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
