The Bruins men's soccer team remained unbeaten in region play on Saturday night as the team scored a pair of goals in the second half to defeat Trinity Baptist College 2-0 in Jacksonville, Florida. With the win, the Bruins push their winning streak to five straight as the team improves to 6-1-1 on the season and a perfect 5-0 in region play.
"This was a good game to test our resolve and focus," Bruins Head Coach Matt Hotchkin said. "We left campus very early this morning but I was proud of the way the team traveled and the way they warmed up after being on a bus for a long time. Trinity Baptist improved significantly from the first time we saw them, and we found it difficult to find goals. Our ball movement improved in the second half, and the game opened up for us."
The Bruins came into the match having not played for the last two weeks. The team was scheduled to play two road matches last week but those matches were canceled due to COVID precautions. The Bruins had defeated Brewton-Parker College 4-3 in overtime in their last match.
Earlier this season, the Bruins and Trinity Baptist squared off at Alumni Stadium with the Bruins pouring it on in the second half with five goals on their way to a 6-0 shutout. The Eagles came into Saturday's match at 3-7 overall but were riding a three game winning streak as they welcomed the Bruins to Losco Regional Park in Jacksonville.
In the opening minutes, the Bruins possessed well as they moved the ball into the attacking third. Gasheed Lareche and Conley Burk each had chances on frame early on but Trey Nieves came up with saves for the Eagles.
The Bruins were able to keep the Eagles at bay and kept pressuring the TBC net with shots. Still, the team couldn't find the back of the net as the first half ended as it began tied 0-0.
In the second half, the Bruins and Eagles came out looking for the game's first goal. Less than 10 minutes into the half, the Bruins finally broke through as Conley Burk scored to put the Bruins up 1-0.
The Eagles tried to come right back but the Bruins did a good job of consistently dispossessing the Eagles, turning them into quick counter attacks to try to extend their lead. Trey Nieves continued to make key saves for the Eagles as the Bruins kept the slim lead.
With just minutes remaining, the pushed ahead on the attack when Peter Waddy ran ahead for a through ball and was fouled by Eagles' keeper Trey Nieves, awarding the Bruins with a PK. Waddy calmly buried the opportunity in the back of the net in the closing seconds as the Bruins walked off the pitch with a hard-fought 2-0 win on the road.
"Overall it was a good day for us and we look to next week's matchups as a good test in preparation for postseason play," Coach Hotchkin said. "We are thankful to be playing soccer right now, and the guys are continuing to give their best."
The Bruins out shot the Eagles 18-4 in the match including a 10-3 margin on goal. Conley Burk scored his second goal of the 2020 season while Peter Waddy scored his third. The Bruins are perfect in their region play and have yet to yield a goal to region opponents this season.
Next up, the Bruins will be on the road again on Thursday night as they face Carolina University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.