An impenetrable defensive front by Bellarmine (5-6-3, 2-3-1) led to a 2-0 loss for the Florida Gulf Coast University men's soccer (4-8-2, 3-2-1) team on Tuesday in Louisville, Kentucky, in Atlantic Sun Conference action.

"I thought Bellarmine sat in, defended well  and executed their plan," FGCU head coach Jesse Cormier said. "They had more discipline and a better mindset than we did. They took their chances and capitalized on our mistakes. We are disappointed not to take this opportunity today, but we will channel it to Saturday for the Queens game."

The Eagles controlled possession for much of the game, keeping pressure in their offensive half. The Knights chose to sit back in a compact 4-4-2 formation in front of the keeper that FGCU could not figure out how to break. The ball found its way back to the Eagles back line in the 15th minute when they mishandled it allowing for a Bellarmine breakaway. The initial ball was deflected by Cooper Blay but fell to the feet of a Knight for the first goal of the game.

FGCU continued to keep the ball in the Eagles' offensive half but the stubborn defensive formation held strong, putting the score at 1-0 at half.

The Green and Blue came out hot for the second half with persistent pressure on the Bellarmine goal. In the 59th minute, Alon Drey sent a cross the the middle of the six-yard box, which the Bellarmine keeper punched away. Just three minutes later, a cross found the head of Beltran Alavrez at the far post which he redirected towards the goal but it met the post. This pressure led to a counter-attacking opportunity for the Knights, which they converted for the 2-0 lead.

Ever persistent, the Eagles came flying back towards the goal, peppering the BU keeper with shots on target and placing dangerous cutbacks in the box. In the 83rd minute, Victor Lopes received a corner that he redirected towards the goal and past the keeper, but a Bellarmine defender cleared it off the line. That would be the best chance FGCU had in the latter stages of the match as it ended 2-0 in favor of the Knights.

With the loss, there is further clarity on the Eagles position in the upcoming ASUN postseason tournament. FGCU currently sits third in the standings. With a win on Saturday against Queens and Stetson loss, the Eagles move to second. If Stetson either draws or wins, FGCU will remain in third. With a draw, the Green and Blue will be the three seed. With a loss, FGCU will remain the third seed as long as Bellarmine does not win. If Bellarmine wins after an Eagles loss, FGCU will fall to the fourth seed.

The Eagles return for senior day Nov. 2 against Queens. Make sure to come early as FGCU will honor seniors Luke Barforosh, Lucas Windschauer, Sebastian Soriano, Linus Dahl, Shoki Yoshida, Jahvanie Hammond, Blay and Drey before kickoff. Read Full Article