Heath-Preston records hat-trick in win over Friends

OMAHA, Neb. – It was two years ago when Mark Heath-Preston led the team in goals, and after a year off, the sophomore was back in scoring fashion as he picked up a hat-trick to help Bellevue get a convincing 5-1 win over Friends University on Saturday afternoon at Tranquility Park. The Bruins got back to above .500 (4-3-1) as they gave the visiting Falcons their second loss of the season (4-2-1).

It didn’t take long for the men’s soccer team to take a 1-0 lead as Mark Heath-Preston picked up his first of three goals winning a ball at midfield. He then spun around his defender and dribbled to goal drilling it past the Friends keeper. The game remained 1-0 until the 35th minute with Trevor Eastman did his Heath-Preston ‘look-a-like’ dribbling from around midfield, past one defender, then another, and ripped it into the back of the net putting the Bruins up 2-0.

Bellevue, glad to be home for the first time since dropping a close match at the end of August, went up 3-0 when Tom Dodds ‘used his head’ on a corner kick from Tom White scoring the goal. Not to be out-done, Friends University did pull to within two (3-1) when Josh Funk was able to wrestle the ball away from a Bellevue defender and scored.

After a combined four goals and nine shots from each team through the first 45 minutes, fans were hoping to see the scoring continued. However, it was not to be until almost the end of regulation when Mark-Heath Preston scored his second goal of the match in the 74th minute (4-1). This goal was the dagger, as the Friends team repeatedly attacked Bellevue a majority of the second half, taking the steam out of the Falcons team.

The quick forward (Heath-Preston) of Bellevue wasn’t done as his next goal game 15 minutes later (89:19) when he got a crossing pass from Tom Garrick to pick up his second hat-trick of the season and his team-leading seventh goal of the year.

Bellevue out-shot Friends University, 12-9, in the match getting five from Mark Heath-Preston and two each from Trevor Eastman and Casey Friend. Three other Bruin player had shots in the victory as Luke Baxter  (1-0-0) got his first collegiate career start and made it count with a complete game, six save, one goal victory. Both teams finished with 13 fouls each.

The Falcons, got three shots from Kevin TenEyck, two on goal as six other Friends players recorded the remaining six shots, five of which were on goal. Christopher O’Hern got the loss allowing all five goals with one save in the match. Friends did record three more corner kicks to Bellevue, 5-2.