LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The next big ASUN test awaits the Bellarmine University men's soccer team as the Knights will welcome FGCU for a 5 p.m. (ET) contest Sunday in Owsley B. Frazier Stadium.
Originally scheduled for Saturday evening, the match was pushed back a day after FGCU's travel plans were affected by Hurricane Ian.
Bellarmine (4-3-1, 1-2 ASUN) and FGCU (4-1-2, 1-0-1) are meeting for the fourth time in the Division-I era, but it's the first matchup between the two in Frazier Stadium. In the previous two seasons, they squared off in the ASUN Tournament, with the Eagles winning 2-1 in the semifinals in the spring of 2021 and the Knights capturing a 2-1 victory in the quarterfinals last season. FGCU took last year's regular-season showdown, 1-0, at home.
Neither Bellarmine nor FGCU had a midweek game prior to the contest. The Eagles captured a 2-1 home win over Liberty on Sept. 23 in which they erased a 1-0 deficit with a pair of second-half goals. In addition to that ASUN win, they tied Jacksonville 1-1 in league play. Their lone loss was a 1-0 setback at home to Louisville.
Three players have scored multiple goals for FGCU. Davi Alves tops the team with three while Jovoney Brown and Aedon Kyra have two apiece. Wyatt Kistner has seen every minute in goal and collected three shutouts with a 0.71 goals-against average and .821 save percentage.
Bellarmine is beginning a stretch of six home games in seven matches, split evenly at home between conference and nonconference contests. The Knights have recorded two straight shutouts, including a 1-0 road blanking of Jacksonville on Sept. 24. The Knights earned their first points (three) in ASUN action with the victory over the Dolphins.
Redshirt freshman midfielder
Ben Griffis tallied his first career goal off the second assist of the season from junior defender
Brock Pope on the score against Jacksonville. Junior forward
Nolan McGrath is Bellarmine's team leader in goals with four. He's the lone Knight with multiple goals, but five other players have one apiece.
Senior
Jackson Kirn is the reigning ASUN Defensive Player of the Week. He and sophomore
Rikard Cederberg, Bellarmine's two center backs, have not experienced a break in game action this season. Both have played all 720 available minutes.
It's Family Weekend at Bellarmine. Admission to the game is free. Cash donations for hurricane relief for the ASUN's Florida institutions will be collected at the main gate.
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