Box Score
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NAIA Opening Round Schedule/Results
OLATHE, Kan. -- Alvaro Capra and Inaki Aldao scored second half goals to lift the No. 9-ranked Bellevue University men's soccer team to a 2-0 NAIA National Tournament Opening Round victory over McPherson College on Thursday afternoon at Pioneer Field on the campus of host MidAmerica Nazarene University.
Records:
Bellevue: 15-4-2
McPherson: 12-5-4
Recap:
Despite dominating the first half possession, Bellevue was unable to string together the final pass and find too many scoring chances. The game proceeded to halftime scoreless with the Bruins holding a 3-1 advantage in shots.
Alvaro Capra put Bellevue on the board with his 63rd minute strike. After receiving a throw-in from Andy Wilkinson, Capra dribbled through traffic at the top of the box and banged a shot off the underside of the crossbar that bounded down and into the back of the net.
Inaki Aldao doubled the Bruin lead in the 77th minute as he settled a pass from Gabriel Gaiotto at the top of the 18, took a touch, turned and fired a shot back across his body to beat the keeper to the far post.
AJ Jarvis made two saves in goal for BU to preserve his fourth shutout of the season.
Bellevue finished with a 17-5 advantage in shots, 14-4 in the second half, including a 6-2 edge in shots on goal and collected all nine corner kicks.
Man of the Match:
Coach Mark Heath-Preston:
"It was a great team performance and we are excited to move on!"
Up Next:
Bellevue faces the winner of the game between MidAmerica Nazarene and Rocky Mountain at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday with the winner advancing to the NAIA National Tournament Final Site.
Notes:
- Bellevue has now won their last four Opening Round matches and improve to 5-2-0 all-time in Opening Round games.
- The Bruins now have 15 wins on the season, the eighth time the program has reached the 15-win mark (1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2020-21).
- With his goal against McPherson, Inaki Aldao has equaled Manuel Lira for most goals by a Bruin in NAIA National Tournament competition with three.
