The Bruins fell in a hard-fought match against their rival on Saturday night as the Eagles scored a late goal in the second half to win 2-1 in Pensacola, Florida. With the loss, the Bruins fall to 1-8 on the season and 1-1 in region play.
"Our guys jumped into this game with the right mindset," Bruins Head Coach Matt Hotchkin said. "Our play was pretty solid throughout. The scoreline is tough to take because I thought we played good enough to win the game, but we will just have to keep striving."
The Bruins came into the match as the role of the underdog, facing the #1 ranked Eagles. The fans were out in full force at Eagle Field as the next chapter of this rivalry was set to be written.
In the opening minutes, the Bruins came out with poise and energy as they worked the ball into the attacking third. Sebastian Sulik and Andrew Zhang each had chances but their shots sailed wide. The Eagles came right back with scoring chances of their own but neither team was able to find the back of the net.
With the first half beginning to come to a close, the two teams remained locked in a scoreless draw. With just seven minutes remaining in the half, the Eagles broke into the scoring column as Jonathan Mendez scored to make it 1-0.
The Bruins came right back with urgency and netted the equalizer less than two minutes later as Caleb Felber fed David Dume for a goal to tie the game at 1-1. As the halftime buzzer sounded, the two teams went to their benches with the score 1-1.
As the second half began, both teams came out looking to grab momentum. The Bruins again started the half with good energy on the attack as the team was able to push ahead for multiple corner kick chances in the opening minutes. The Eagles came back with chances of their own, but the Bruins defense turned aside opportunities.
With just under fifteen minutes remaining, the Eagles had a chance to push numbers ahead. Bruins keeper Isaac Landry left his line to make a play and deflected the ball. It was gathered by Eagles Nick Standridge who centered the ball into the middle. Jake McClelland was there to finish off an open-net goal for the Eagles as they took the lead 2-1.
The Bruins came back hoping they could find the equalizer quickly as they did in the first half. Rasheed Lareche rifled a shot on frame but it was saved by Eagles' keeper Adam Lund with just over eight minutes to go. The Bruins had several additional chances in the closing minutes, but their hopes of an upset ended as the final buzzer gave the Eagles a 2-1 win.
"It was a great atmosphere tonight and we had a solid fan base here from home," Coach Hotchkin said. "One thing I love about this team is that they have not lost heart. We will be back practicing on Monday. We don't have a losing mindset. We are trying and I believe we are close."
Despite falling in the match, the Bruins outshot the top-ranked Eagles 10-8 inclduing a 6-3 on goal margin. David Dume notched his team-leading third goal of the season while Caleb Felber recorded his second assist.
Next up, the Bruins will be on the road October 2 as they face Johnson University in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.
