Official Stats
Dayton, TN-The Belhaven men's soccer team opened up the 2009 season at the Bryan College Tournament Friday night losing to Bethel College (TN) by a final of 2-1. The Wildcats are ranked number 1 in the NAIA Top 25 Pre-Season Poll and are the defending NAIA National Champions.

 

Belhaven (0-1) fell behind in the 15^th minute on a Bethel goal by Joseph Omondi to give the Wildcats (1-0-1) an early 1-0 advantage. Armando Orozco was awarded an assist on the play. The Blazers defended well over the next 25 minutes, but Bethel would strike again with 3:41 left to go in the first half on a goal by Andreas Mejia off an assist by Guilherme Karaoglan. Mejia's score gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead and the momentum as both teams headed into the locker room at halftime.

 

Belhaven rallied with a goal off the foot of Juan Rodriguez at the 55:51 mark of the game to edge within a goal of Bethel at 2-1. Rodriguez picked up right where he left off last season when he scored 16 goals and had a team high 35 points. John Kehoe picked up the assist on the goal which was his first of 2009.

 

Unfortunately, that's all the offense the Blazers could muster the rest of the night. The Wildcats kept the Belhaven offense off balance all game surrendering just five total shot attempts by the Blazer attack. However, Bethel fired off a total of 16 shots at Belhaven goalie Zach Wallace who made three saves in the game. Bethel goalkeeper Massimo Collu-Marchese turned away two of Belhaven's five shots on the night.