EVANSVILLE, Ind. — You knew it was coming. And it unfolded Tuesday at Strassweg Field.
Although he had multiple near-misses, junior forward
Johan Nissen-Lie was held without a goal over the first four games of the season, but the 2025 ASUN co-Player of the Year emphatically ended that drought with a brace in the Bellarmine University men's soccer team's 2-1 win over Southern Indiana.
Fresh off a 1-0 victory over Stetson in its ASUN opener, Bellarmine (4-0-1) returned to nonconference action against the former D2 archrival Screaming Eagles (0-2-2) and posted its third straight win while remaining unbeaten under first-year head coach
Matt Cannady.
Nissen-Lie is coming off an ASUN-leading 10-goal campaign and netted his first two goals of 2026 against USI. Both came on the back end of corner kicks.
The first was recorded in the 19th minute. Senior midfielder
Colin Mackey curled a corner kick toward the back post, where Nissen-Lie had gotten freed up to bang in a header.
Although Bellarmine largely commanded play in both halves, the Screaming Eagles equalized the contest in the 42nd minute on a goal by Edin Cvorovic.
Bellarmine seemed on the precipice of regaining the lead by the middle of the second half, no opportunity more telling than when sophomore midfielder
Bartosz Wojda's shot caromed off the post.
In the 72nd minute, the Knights broke through, as freshman midfielder
Nathan Krall laced a corner kick that deflected off the head of a USI player around the near post and skipped to a waiting Nissen-Lie stationed on the back post. He leapt and headed in the game-winner.
Following Nissen-Lie's second goal, Bellarmine missed a prime opportunity to add an insurance goal, and then USI came up empty on a golden chance to tie.
Bellarmine finished with decisive advantages in total shots (15-4) and shots on goal (9-1). The corner kicks were even at seven apiece.
Bellarmine will host Chicago State at 3 p.m. (ET) Saturday.
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