LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Freshman goalkeeper
Tudor Iordan's Matthew Brozovich impression was spot-on when the Bellarmine University men's soccer team needed it most.
On Tuesday night at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium, in the first action of his career, Iordan thwarted a penalty kick with a little over five minutes remaining to preserve a 1-0 victory over Wright State.
Sophomore midfielder
Ben Griffis netted his first goal of the season for Bellarmine (3-2-6), which ran its unbeaten streak to four. Senior defenders
Austin Yowell and
Brock Pope double assisted on the early goal against Wright State (3-5-4).
A three-time ASUN Goalkeeper of the Week and the 2023 ASUN Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, Brozovich was given the night off for the nonconference game. Iordan got the call, making his first career start and registering his first collegiate shutout while tallying four saves.
None of Iordan's stops was bigger than his denial of Conner Osterholt's penalty kick in the 85th minute. Osterholt opted to aim for inside the left post, and Iordan sprawled out and batted away the attempt.
Bellarmine ultimately protected a 1-0 lead that it built inside the first five minutes. From near the left sideline, Yowell connected with Pope toward the back post. Pope headed the ball across the goalmouth to a wide-open Griffis, who calmly tapped in a header for the quick advantage.
Pope bumped his team-leading assist total to four and has supplied at least one assist or goal in five games this season. Yowell notched his second assist of the year, both in the last three games.
Until Wright State had the PK, Bellarmine had perhaps the next-best scoring opportunity. The Knights nearly took a 2-0 lead in the first half, but Raiders goalkeeper Oscar Juhl-Larsen made a kick save to keep their deficit at one.
Bellarmine finished with a 14-8 advantage in shots, including 5-4 on frame. The Knights had five shots in the first half and nine after the break.
Bellarmine will host ASUN counterpart North Florida at 7 p.m. (ET) Saturday.
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