Bruins down York, advance to MCAC final

OMAHA, Neb. – The defense shone bright as no shots on goal were conceded as the top-seeded Bellevue University defeated visiting and fourth-seeded York College by a 2-0 margin on Friday night in a Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference semi-final match-up at Tranquility Park. For the Bruins (14-2-1) it is their sixth straight victory while York fell to 8-9-2 with the loss.

Bellevue, ranked 18^th in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll, found themselves on the scoreboard first in the 26^th minute with junior Tobias Maertzke's (Hamburg, Germany) ninth strike of the season. Senior Kristopher McFadyen (Glasgow, Scotland) played a ball to Maertzke just outside of the 18-yard box on a bounce. Maertzke turned, and in one motion, volleyed the ball out of the air into the lower right corner of the net before keeper Luis Sanchez could move.

The goal came about 11 minutes after senior Manuel Lira (Guadalajara, Mexico) nearly connected on a volley of his own. He took a volley from just inside the 18-yard box but Sanchez made a diving save to his right.

York was granted a great opportunity to score in the 32^nd minute following a mental lapse by Bellevue giving them a free kick from 18 yards out. Axel Mendez took the set piece but his shot deflected off of the Bruin wall and over the end line to keep the score 1-0 in favor of Bellevue.

Freshman Rob Smith (Lincoln, England) finally tallied a second goal for Bellevue in the 75^th minute with his team-leading 11^th goal of the campaign. Lira possessed the ball on the outside edge before delivering a pass to junior Kenan Sahuric (Lincoln, Neb.) along the end line who then delivered a pass to the on-coming Smith. Smith blasted a one-timer which the replacement keeper Tyler Courtney had no time to react to as the Bruin advantage was doubled at 2-0.

Senior keeper Scott Robertson (Burnley, England) did not need to make any saves to pick up the victory and his fifth clean sheet of the season.

Bellevue out-shot York by a 34-4 margin and held an 11-0 edge in shots on goal.

Sanchez made seven saves in goal for the Panthers while his replacement Courtney made two.

Bellevue will play next on Friday, Nov. 14 when they host an opponent to be determined in the MCAC Championship. A game time will be announced early next week.

The Bruins will be making their third consecutive appearance in the championship match, having won the title last season and finished runner's-up in 2012.