LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Jake Cover scored in the game's first minute to give the Bellevue University men's soccer team their third-straight Continental Athletic Conference Championship with a 1-0 victory over Florida National University on Saturday afternoon.
Bellevue picked a fine time to record their first three-game winning streak of the year as they add their 12th conference tournament championship to their trophy case.
With the victory, the Bruins improve to 7-10-3 headed into National Tournament play. The loss – just the second of the year for the Conquistadors – sees drops Florida National to 10-2-3.
BU wasted no time, scoring on their first shot of the game and, incidentally, their only shot of the first half.
Jake Cover dribbled down the left side and delivered a strike to the lower right-hand corner of the goal to record his seventh tally of the season.
What was expected to be a physical game from the outset proved to be as 30 fouls were whistled on the two teams, 19 for Bellevue and 11 for FNU. Five Bruins received yellow cards and four Conquistadors were booked with Henrique Jordao sent off in the 38th minute following a straight red.
Playing a man down took a significant toll on any hopes of a Florida National comeback bid, as BU out-shot their opposition 6-2 in the second half.
Victor Ruiz finished with four saves in goal for FNU and Romeo Paparesta made a pair of stops for Bellevue. The shutout was the third-straight, and sixth of the season, for Paparesta. As a team, it marked BU's ninth clean sheet.
Earning CAC All-Tournament team honors for the Bruins were Most Outstanding Player Alvaro Capra, Romeo Paparesta, Sebastian Zapata, and Jaeger Erickson.
The Bruins will learn the Opening Round opponent when seeds and pairings are announced on Monday's Selection Show. The NAIA Opening Round will begin Thursday, Nov. 17 with the winners meeting one another on Saturday, Nov. 19 for the right to advance to the final site.
