BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Travis Hurd's goal with five seconds left in the game gave the No. 6 Bellevue University men's soccer team a thrilling 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Waldorf University on Wednesday afternoon at Bellevue Soccer Club.
Records:
#6 Bellevue: 15-0-2
Waldorf: 8-8-1
Recap: #6 Bellevue 2, Waldorf 1
Bellevue overcame a 1-0 deficit and an unconverted penalty in the match to rally past rival Waldorf for their second 2-1 victory over the Warriors this month.
Barema Samassekou put the Warriors on the board first with his 32nd minute strike. Samassekou unleashed a shot from about 25 yards out that curled into the top nearside corner for his second goal of the season.
Despite holding a 6-3 advantage in shots Bellevue went into the half down 1-0. The physical first period saw five yellow cards issued and 17 fouls whistled.
Inaki Aldao put the Bruins on the board in the 54th minute. Emil Gebelhoff played a ball from midfield in behind the defense that Aldao ran down and slotted a shot off the underside of the oncoming keeper to level the game.
Bellevue again held an edge in chances in the second half, out-shooting Waldorf 9-7 (4-2 on goal).
Travis Hurd won a penalty in the 86th minute Waldorf keeper Raul Guillamon-Bejar made a diving save on to keep the match tied.
With the game seemingly destined for overtime Amador Rangel made a run into the box and slotted a pass across the top of the 6-yard box that Travis Hurd one-timed into the net with just five seconds to play.
AJ Jarvis made three saves in the victory and Bellevue out-shot the Warriors 15-10 on the day.
Guillamon-Bejar stopped three shots for Waldorf.
Man of the Match:
Finlay Bloodworth – Bloodworth took control of the game defensively winning header after header and a myriad of tackles to prevent Waldorf from going forward. Coach Mark Heath-Preston called it "one of his best performances as a Big Purple Bear."
Coach Mark Heath-Preston:
"It was another hard games against Waldorf. We limited them to a few chances and had enough early on to put the game away. Credit to Waldorf, they worked hard and made it difficult for us. Finlay Bloodworth, Jacob Pease, and Andy Wilkinson were different class at the back and kept us in the game late on. We were really happy to get the winner at the end of the game and I was happy for Travis Hurd to put it away. We know we need to improve, work harder, and give more. This Saturday we finish out the regular sesaon against Viterbo when we will honor a wonderful group of seniors."
Up Next:
The Bruins wrap up regular-season play on Saturday, Nov. 3 when they host Viterbo University at 2:30 p.m. at Faiman Field on the Bellevue West High School campus. Senior Day ceremonies will take place prior to kick-off.
Notes:
- During their nine-game win streak Bellevue has out-scored their opposition 37-5.
- For the third-straight week the Bruins are ranked No. 6 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll, which was released on Tuesday afternoon.
- BU is unbeaten in their last 22 matches (19-0-3), a streak which began on Oct. 7 2017.
