First half goals fuel Bruins to win over Morningside

PAPILLION, Neb. -- Ximena Jauregui scored the opener and assisted Britney Nolte's decider to guide the Bellevue University women's soccer team to its third-straight victory, defeating Morningside University 2-1 on Tuesday evening at Papillion Landing.

Records:

Bellevue: 3-0-0
Morningside: 2-1-0

BU 2, Mside 1

Morningside controlled possession in the opening minutes but Bellevue struck first against the run of play. Sinai Bernal received a pass in the box and, while sliding, slipped a pass across the goalmouth for reigning CAC Defensive Player of the Week Ximena Jauregui to tap in for her second goal of the season and a 1-0 Bruin lead.

BU evened out the possession totals a bit over the next 10 minutes and even had the better attacking possession.

The Mustangs conceded a corner kick that Jauregui delivered to the center of the box for Britney Nolte to flick on past the keeper and inside the far post to double the Bruin advantage. The goal was Nolte's second of the season as well.

Samantha O'Roy answered not two minutes later with a strike from distance that snuck past Jenn Amaro and under the crossbar.

The goal marked an end to Bellevue's run of 210:41 without conceding a goal to open the season, their best mark since going 258:14 into the 2020 season before conceding.

Two plays of the game occurred in the final 25 minutes. Mackenzie Poleij, who looked to have been beaten by an attacker, made a sliding tackle to block a shot wide for a corner kick and Millie Hopkisson slid across the box to deflect another shot wide of goal with Amaro seemingly screened from seeing the attempt.

Playing mostly on defense in the second half, Bellevue saw Morningside rack up a 31-5 advantage in shots on the night and record eight of the match's 12 corner kicks.

Amaro finished with an early season-best nine saves in goal for BU. Megan Messersmith stopped just one of the three shots Bellevue put on target for the Mustangs.

Player of the Match:

Ella Pelletier

Coach Tom White:

"A great win against a great team. We had to dig in tonight so I was happy with the fight."

Up Next:

Bellevue travels to Hastings College on Saturday, Sept. 3 for a 5 p.m. kick-off against the Broncos. Their first road game of the season kicks off a stretch of four-straight away from Papillion Landing.