After advancing to their first region championship since the 2016 season, the Bruins soccer team came up just short as the team fell to #1 seeded Pensacola Christian College 1-0. With the loss, the Bruins end the season as they will miss the NCCAA DII National Tournament for the first time since 2015.
"This was a tough loss for us," Bruins Head Coach Matt Hotchkin said. "We had our chances today and just didn't convert. I am proud of our guys and the effort they gave."
The Bruins came into the region tournament as the #3 seed, but the team advanced to the title game thanks to a dominant performance in the semifinal as they defeated #2 seeded Johnson University (FL) 7-1. The Eagles entered the championship match as the #1 seed, having defeated #3 seeded Trinity Baptist College 3-1 in the semifinal.
Both teams had met earlier in the season with the Eagles winning 2-1 on their home field. Today, the Bruins and Eagles would face each other with the South Region Championship on the line.
From the opening kickoff, the Bruins came out strong as they pushed the tempo and created scoring chances. Jordan Crews, Sebastian Sulik, and Conley Burk each had open shots but they sailed past the net.
The Eagles came right back and nearly found the back of the net as Jake McClelland fired a near point blank shot which was stopped by Bruins keeper Isaac Landry. Both teams traded opportunities the remainder of the half but the match remained scoreless as the teams went into halftime.
In the second half, the game took a turn for the physical as both teams were awarded a caution. In the 69th minute, the Eagles finally broke through as Nick Standridge headed home a beautiful goal into the top right corner to make it 1-0.
With just twenty minutes to play, the Bruins came back looking to find the equalizer. The Eagles dropped back additional players to stack the box and make it difficult for the Bruins to score. Still, the Bruins were able to create several chances in the closing minutes but none found the back of the net as the Eagles rushed the field in celebration defeating the Bruins 1-0.
"We needed just a little more anticipation at some key moments but having said that, we have such a special group of guys and the future is bright for our program," Coach Hotchkin said.
The Bruins out shot the Eagles 14-4 in the match, but Eagles keeper Adam Lund made three saves to complete the clean sheet. With the loss, the Bruins finish the season at 6-12. Although the Bruins battled through one of their most difficult schedules to date, the team improved with each match and came up just short of winning their first region championship.
The Bruins will graduate several key seniors on the team this year, but with a strong group of freshman and a core of returning players, the future certainly looks bright for Bruins soccer.
