Fast start helps Bruins cruise past Defenders

OMAHA, Neb. -- Inaki Aldao scored less than five minutes into the match to set the tone for the Bellevue University men's soccer team in a 5-1 victory over Dordt University on Saturday evening at Tranquility Park.

Records:

Bellevue: 6-7-1
Dordt: 3-6-1

Recap: Bellevue 5, Dordt 1

Inaki Aldao scored twice and Andy Wilkinson added his first goal of the season, all within the game's first 20 minutes as Bellevue started fast and never looked back.

Finlay Bloodworth set up Aldao's first goal in the fifth minute with a cross from the far sideline that Aldao headed up under the crossbar and into the back of the net.

In the 14^th minute, Toby Millward played a free kick into the box that found the feet of Andy Wilkinson. After his first attempt was saved by Seth Lewison, Wilkinson banged in his own rebound for his first goal of the season.

Just over four minutes later Aldao found the back of the net again. After winning a free kick in the 18^th minute, Ricky Reyes ran over a free kick and took a pass from Millward before playing a ball into the box that Aldao one-timed into the back of the net.

Dordt grabbed a goal back in the 85^th minute. Gideon De Graaf saw his initial header saved by AJ Jarvis but Nathan Wanninger was one the goal line to tuck away the rebound.

Any thoughts of a late rally would be quickly quelled. After Jaeger Erickson's initial shot was saved at the other end in the 86^th minute, Marvin Ramirez pounced on the rebound and blasted it into the back of the net for a 4-1 BU lead.

Erickson got a goal of his own in the 89^th minute. Eli Brown a through ball down the win to Morgan Penn who then played a cross in from the far sideline that Erickson had time to settle and line up his shot before shooting back across the goal and tucking the ball inside the far post to give the home side a 5-1 advantage.

Jarvis finished with three saves for the Bruins who out-shot Dordt 23-5 on the night.

Lewison stopped six shots in goal for the Defenders.

Dordt did not record a shot in the first half and were out-gunned 5-2 on corner kicks on the evening.

Coach Mark Heath-Preston:

"It was a better performance than we've had in recent weeks. I saw good leadership from the older lads and some great work from Juvenal Jacinto, Marvin Ramirez, Eli Brown, and John Cover. Jaeger Erickson did well when he came on and Andy Wilkinson had a good captain's performance."

Man of the Match:

Juvenal Jacinto -- Made numerous dangerous runs, overlapping passes, and caused general havoc for the Dordt defense from his left wing side.

Up Next:

Bellevue travels to La Crosse, Wis. on Friday, Oct. 11 for a 3 p.m. kick-off against Viterbo University at the V-Hawks Soccer Field.

Notes:

• The five goals scored by the Bruins are a season-high, after twice scoring three in a game this season.
• BU is now 1-1-0 at Tranquility Park this season.
• Tonight's game marked the first time the Bruins have played multiple home games at the same venue.
• The goals from Marvin Ramirez and Andy Wilkinson were the first of the season for each player.