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11/12/2008 - MEN'S SOCCER
Bruins Stun Hatters on PK in Second Overtime
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Courtesy ASunPhotos.com
BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Belmont rallied from two goals down with 20 minutes remaining to force overtime with Stetson and Wade Wonderlin converted a penalty kick in the 106th minute lifting the Bruins to a 4-3 victory on Wednesday in the final Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Soccer Championship first round game from Campbell’s Eakes Athletic Complex.
The first half looked similar to Wednesday’s earlier game as Stetson, like Lipscomb against Mercer, scored a pair of first half goals. Also like the Bisons, the Hatters allowed their opponent to within one goal early in the second half when Belmont’s All-Freshman forward Dan Meacock scored the first of his two goals in the night, 14 minutes into the second half.
Stetson (8-7-2) increased its lead to 3-1 when Gonzalo de Mujica’s answered Belmont’s tally 35 seconds later. The margin remained two until Meacock found the back of the net for a second time during the 71st minute of play. The Hatters stood less than three minutes away from victory, but Brent Parker scored in the 88th minute on a header that narrowly crossed the goal line.
After a scoreless first 10 minutes of overtime, Belmont’s other All-Freshman forward, Will Moorad, drew a foul inside the penalty box setting up Wonderlin’s penalty kick attempt. Wonderlin drove a low kick down the middle beating Stetson goalkeeper Marc Galizia, who dove to his right.
“We are a team of character and we always fight no matter what,” Wonderlin said. “We came out in the second half and knew we were not out of it even though we were down 2-0.”
Belmont (11-7-2) earned its first-ever berth in the semifinals and for its efforts, drew the undefeated regular-season champ, top seed and host Campbell Camels. This match, and all Men’s Soccer Championship matches, can be seen on ASun.TV. Matt Lightner and Ryan Dunn will call all the action.
“One of the things our coaching staff has been preaching all year to our guys is that this team has something special and this team has character,” Belmont head coach Earle Davidson. ‘I think that we proved that in the second half with a tremendous comeback.
Campbell has won 26 of 31 home games since the start of the 2005 season, and owns a perfect 8-0-0 record in 2008 at the Eakes Complex.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
