LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University men's soccer team became the first team in the Atlantic Sun Conference to earn a point against North Florida, but that was undoubtedly small consolation to the Knights on Saturday night at rain-soaked Owsley B. Frazier Stadium.
Despite a massive advantage in shots and playing a man-up for 70 minutes, Bellarmine (5-2-4, 1-2-2 ASUN) couldn't quite crack conference leader North Florida (8-4-2, 4-0-1) as the teams played to a scoreless draw.
The contest was a rematch of the 2025 ASUN Tournament finals, which pitted the Gold Division champion Knights against the Graphite Division champion Ospreys. UNF won a 3-2 overtime thriller.
Bellarmine was in a particularly promising position to exact its revenge after a North Florida player was issued a red card in the 20th minute. The Knights exploited the advantage by racking up a 22-2 advantage in shots, but the Ospreys were able to limit them to only three on frame.
One came with a little over two minutes left, when senior midfielder
Tate McCrery rifled a shot from 17 yards toward the right upper 90. North Florida's Luciano Natoli managed to get his hands up in the nick of time and deflect the shot over the goal.
The Ospreys made a final defensive stand in the waning moments, as the Knights had a dangerous chance inside the box. However, the biggest trouble UNF escaped came early in the second half when it was whistled for a foul in the box only for a Bellarmine PK opportunity to be wiped away after the call was overturned on a video review.
Bellarmine's defense didn't allow a shot in the first half and only two for the game. None were on frame. The Knights posted their fourth shutout.
Bellarmine will host IU Indy in a nonconference match at 3 p.m. (ET) Tuesday.
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