NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Suffering its first loss of the season, the Belmont University men's soccer team was unable to keep the University of Illinois Chicago's Edouard Nys out of goal as the visiting Flames ended the Bruins' program-record 13-match unbeaten streak Sunday afternoon with a 2-1 result. Belmont, who drops to 1-1-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play and 6-1-5 overall, never led on its home turf at E.S. Rose Park and was unable to answer Nys' 84th-minute game-winning goal.
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UIC (8-1-3, 1-0-2 MVC) needed every bit of Nys' brace to pull off the road win in the Music City.
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The Bruins entered the weekend as one of only 12 unbeaten teams in the nation. Belmont's 13-match unbeaten streak, which dated back to Oct. 25 of last year, was the third-longest in the country.
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The high-level affair saw the Flames take a 1-0 lead a little over 18 minutes in on midfielder Nys' first goal, which developed courtesy of sharp passes by UIC's Sota Nakazono and Adrian Biaggi in the center of the field.
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It didn't take long for the Bruins to respond with redshirt senior forward
Jimiyu Mark and graduate defender
Parker Forbes setting up freshman midfielder
Nzuhri Biggar in the 25th minute. Mark fed the ball over to Forbes on the right flank, who found Biggar inside the six-yard box on a long delivery. Finishing his run, Biggar punched in his second goal in three matches to even the score at 1-1.
Belmont came within inches of scoring the opening goal just six-and-a-half minutes into the contest when freshman midfielder
Paul Claes Nielsen hit the right frame with authority.
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Redshirt sophomore forward
Lucas Wolthers nearly put the Bruins up 2-1 in the second half with a powerful 79th-minute boot from outside the 18-yard box. Although on line, Wolthers' attempt quickly found the gloves of the Flames' goalkeeper, Owen Cornell.
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It was Nys once again in the 84th minute, breaking free in the box on a long attack and finishing following a distribution from midfielder Sebastian Khoury. UIC midfielder Darrell Turcios also assisted on the game-winning goal, sending an outlet pass down to Khoury.
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With three minutes to go, Belmont looked poised to equalize once again. Mark played a fantastic ball to Wolthers directly in front of goal, but Wolthers' would-be tying header sailed just over the crossbar.
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All six of the Flames' first-half shots were on target and UIC finished with nine total shots, eight of which were on goal.
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Seven of the Bruins' 12 shots came in the second half and Belmont placed three shots on target in each stanza.
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The Bruins didn't allow the Flames a corner kick until the 50th minute while earning three of their four in the first half, including two in rapid succession in the first eight minutes of the match.
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Both teams were whistled for being offsides eight times.
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Graduate goalkeeper
Grant Calvert tied his season high with six saves.
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UIC keeper Cornell finished with five saves.
Of Note
- Belmont's last loss prior to Sunday was on Oct. 25, 2024, a 1-0 home setback against Northern Illinois.
- The Bruins have earned a result in 14 of their last 16 matches.
- Belmont has lost only 13 matches at Rose Park since the 2018 season.
- The Bruins fall to 2-8-1 all-time versus the Flames.
- Mark earned his first assist of the season on Biggar's goal, while Forbes tallied his second.
Up Next
Belmont makes the trek to DeKalb, Illinois, next Friday to take on Northern Illinois. Kickoff from the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Valley road match will be broadcast through the Huskies' live streaming platform,
NIU All-Access.
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How to Follow
Follow Belmont men's soccer on social media –
@BelmontMSoccer on X, formerly Twitter,
@belmontmsoccer on Instagram and
Belmont University Men's Soccer on Facebook – for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via theÂ
official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
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#ItsBruinTime
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