Bruins grind out 1-0 win over Briar Cliff

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Lays Freitas scored in the 25^th minute off a rebound and the Bellevue University women's soccer team held Briar Cliff University without a shot on goal as the Bruins collected a 1-0 win on Saturday afternoon at Chieftain Stadium on the campus of Bellevue East High School.

Records:

Bellevue: 2-1-0
Briar Cliff: 1-1-0

Recap: Bellevue 1, Briar Cliff 0

Briar Cliff held the majority of possession and the better of the chances in the early going. Twice, in a span of just over a minute, the Chargers had opportunities in on goal. In the 13^th minute, Ashley Yepez shot from the edge of the six-yard box went wide then, in the 14^th minute, Taylor Hill one-timed a cross over the bar from no more than 12 yards out.

This came after an Emah Maahs shot in the 11^th minute that Ruby Campa directed off the cross bar for a save to keep the game level.

The Bruins broke through in the 25^th minute after winning a free kick just over 20 yards from goal. Emily Weyant took the set piece and her attempt banged off the bar but Lays Freitas was there to head in the rebound and put the Bruins on the board.

Bellevue added two more shots before the half and Briar Cliff attempted one more but nothing too dangerous.

The second half saw much of the possession contained to the middle third of the pitch with neither side conceding much in the way of opportunity. The teams combined for just five shots in the period, three for BU and two for Briar Cliff.

BU locked in defensively and saw out the game for a favorable result.

Bellevue out-shot the Chargers 9-6 in the match including putting two shots on targets to Briar Cliff's zero. The Bruins also won a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks.

Coach Tom White:

"It wasn't pretty today but we got the job done. We started slow and were unable to find any flow until we scored. We defended very well in the second half and got some great individual performances. The back four – along with Sabrina Staufenbiel – were solid."

Players of the Match:

Emma Phillipson and Sarah Zeleny -- The Bruin defenders played their best games of the season to this point. Zeleny excelled in keeping herself between the defender and the goal, preventing any serious chances, while Phillipson defended well and played several dangerous balls on set pieces for BU.

Up Next:

Bellevue hosts (RV) Columbia on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at Caniglia Field on the University of Nebraska Omaha campus.

Notes:

• It was the first clean sheet kept by the Bruin defense under Tom White.
• Bellevue held their opposition without a shot on target for the first time since Oct. 21, 2017 against Presentation.
• The Bruins have now won five-straight matches against opponents from the GPAC.