Belmont (0-2-0) vs. UNC Asheville (1-1-0) | Thursday, Sept. 2 | 6:30 p.m.
Nashville, Tennessee | E.S. Rose Park
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Belmont Match Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Following a pair of road matches to begin its 2021 fall campaign, the Belmont University men's soccer program kicks off the Bruins' home schedule Thursday evening at E.S. Rose Park. Belmont (0-2-0) hosts the Big South Conference's UNC Asheville (1-1-0) at 6:30 p.m. to start a three-match homestand.
The home opener will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Alex Gould providing play-by-play of the contest. Live statistics of the match will be available via BelmontBruins.com.
What's Bruin
- The Bruins look to ink a mark in the win column after a pair of grueling road affairs at now eighth-ranked Missouri State last Thursday night and at the University of Central Arkansas this past Sunday evening.
- Four of Belmont's next five matches take place in the Music City with a trip to local rival Lipscomb on Sept. 14 in between the Bruins' three-game homestand and their Southern Conference opener versus East Tennessee State University on Saturday, Sept. 18.
- Over the last three seasons, Belmont has gone 9-7-3 at Rose Park and went 3-1-1 at home during the unique 2020-21 spring season. The Bruins began preseason play at Rose Park with a 3-1 exhibition win over The University of Alabama in Huntsville on Aug. 16.
- Coming off a defensive struggle in Conway, Arkansas, Sunday, Belmont found itself on the unfortunate end of an eighth-minute goal. The lone score by host Central Arkansas proved to be the difference as the Bruins were limited to only three total shots, none of which were on target, across the 90 minutes of action. After the Bears racked up eight shots and three corner kicks in the first half of play, Belmont held UCA to four second-half shots and one corner.
- With a first-half goal at then 12th-ranked Missouri State last week, which put the Bruins ahead 1-0 in the 11th minute, senior forward Niccolo Dagnoni has now recorded 13 career goals. He is tied for seventh in goals in program history and is in sixth place among Belmont players all-time with 41 career points.
- Thursday evening will be the first meeting between the Bruins and UNC Asheville since Sept. 19, 2010, and the seventh all-time. Belmont owns a slight 3-2-1 edge in the series, going 2-2 against the Bulldogs in Nashville. Four of the six previous meetings between the two teams were decided by one goal with the 2005 and 2009 matchups going to double overtime.
About the Bulldogs
- After preseason road outings at ETSU on Aug. 19 and at Mars Hill on Aug. 21, UNC Asheville began its fall with a 3-2 home win against Northern Kentucky last Thursday. On Monday, the Bulldogs were handed a 4-0 loss at the hands of Atlantic Coast Conference member N.C. State in Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Both freshman midfielder Jarron James and sophomore midfielder Conor Behan scored goals for UNC Asheville in the win over Northern Kentucky last week. Behan is the defending Big South Offensive Player of the Week after scoring his goal unassisted in the 57th minute for the game-winner and assisting on James' goal.
- Picked to finish fifth in the nine-team Big South according to the league's preseason poll, the Bulldogs went 3-5-1 overall during the spring season. With 10 points and a 3-4-1 conference record, UNC Asheville finished fourth in the Big South in 2020-21. Falling 1-0 in the Big South Championship semifinals, the fourth-seeded Bulldogs nearly upset top-seeded High Point University but were edged thanks to a 92nd-minute overtime goal.
Up Next
The Bruins host SIUE on Labor Day Monday. Kickoff from Rose Park is slated for 6:30 p.m. with the match broadcast on ESPN+.
