Mia Marks put the Bruins on top early on, but the team couldn't hold the lead as #3 Campbellsville University scored two unanswered goals to win 2-1 in the opening pool play match of the NCCAA DI National Tournament in Kissimmee, Florida. This was the first of three pool play matches for the Bruins at the national tournament.
"We did a great job of battling through a very tough match," Bruins Head Coach Chris Carmichael said. "We are definitely disappointed but also know we played a strong game against a very strong opponent."
The Bruins came into the national tournament as the #5 seed. This would be the first appearance for the Bruins at the NCCAA DI National Tournament after the team made the move from NCCAA DII to DI this past offseason. This would be the first-ever meeting between the Bruins and Tigers as both teams looked to open pool play with a win.
In the opening minutes, the Bruins came out strong with good possession as they established their pace of play. Good passing combinations allowed the team to get early looks on frame as Brinkley Adams and Gabriela Gonzalez had scoring chances in the opening minutes.
Mia Marks put the Bruins on top in the 12th minute of play as she scored to give the team a 1-0 lead. The Bruins had climbed on top, but the Tigers looked to respond as they gained possession and began to work the ball into the attacking third.
Angelina Martin made several key saves for the Bruins to keep the Tigers off the board, but Campbellsville continued to win possession and gain shots on goal, outshooting the Bruins 8-5 in the opening half.
With time winding down in the first half, the Tigers equalized as a centering pass was headed in by Lauryn Martin to tie the score at 1-1. The Tigers kept up their momentum as they continued to pressure the Bruins' net but the defense stood strong as the half ended with the score tied 1-1.
In the second half, the Bruins came out looking to regain the lead. Instead, the Tigers continued to win possession which turned into scoring chances. Still, Martin kept the score tied with save after save for the Bruins as the junior keeper made seven saves in the match.
The clock continued to tick down as both teams remained tied 1-1. With just 17 minutes remaining, the Tigers took their first lead of the game as another centering pass was redirected into the back of the net by Molly Hall to put Campbellsville on top 2-1.
The Bruins tried to find the equalizer in the final minutes, but the Tigers defense turned aside opportunities as the final buzzer signaled a 2-1 loss for BJU.
"We started off well and really controlled the tempo of the game," Coach Carmichael said. "Campbellsville was on top of their game and their depth of talent was too much to overcome. We will need to get some quick recovery as we play another tough team in Dallas Baptist."
The Bruins were out shot 15-9 in the match including a 9-3 on goal margin. Mia Marks scored her fifth goal of the season while Angelina Martin made seven saves for the Bruins in the loss.
Next up, the Bruins will be back on the pitch on Tuesday afternoon as they face #2 seeded Dallas Baptist University. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m.
