Rusin returns BU to quarters with first career goal

WICHITA, Kan. -- Freshman Coehen Rusin's first career goal proved decisive as No. 7 Bellevue University, playing with 10 men for the final 10 minutes, held on to defeat LSU Shreveport 1-0 on Monday afternoon in the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Round of 16 at the Stryker Sports Complex.

With the victory, Bellevue (16-2-3) advances to Thursday's quarterfinal match against No. 1-seeded and No. 1-ranked Dalton State University, with kick-off scheduled for 10 a.m.

LSU Shreveport ends their season with an overall record of 14-4-4.

Though Bellevue looked dangerous going forward in the early going, with Matias Daniel-Doren putting the first shot on the board, it was LSUS that registered the game's first real scoring chances.

Guillermo Ferreiro had a pair of dangerous chances for the Pilots just moments apart beginning in the seventh minute, with his close-range efforts missing wide and high, respectively.

Taariq Ganga came off his line in the 18^th minute to clear a cross into the area, contending with an LSU Shreveport attacker.

LSUS sprung a 42nd-minute counter-attack with space down the near sideline after getting by a BU defender. With space, a Pilot winger played a ball to Ferreiro into the box that Fletcher Hedge stepped onto and cleared the danger to keep the game scoreless.

Another counter in the final minute saw Ganga again forced to come off his line and dive into danger to break up another scoring chance, and the game advanced, scoreless, to the halftime break.

LSU Shreveport, having controlled much of the attack and stat sheet in the first half, out-shot the Bruins 8-2 in the period, although the margin on goal was just 1-0.

The Bruins saw their first great chance come in the 55^th minute when Jeremiah Hteh played Ombeni Mubake in behind the defense. Hteh stumbled just over midfield but recovered with the ball at his feet and found Mubake in stride. Mubake took a touch but appeared to find a lip in the turf and was unable to get a clean shot off from about 12 yards.

Bellevue found more success going forward from there and nearly struck for the first goal in the 61^st minute. Jake Cover slid onto a low cross, but Kyle Mcleish met his slide with a dive and came up with the ball.

Two minutes later, BU won a corner. The initial cross was cleared, but Giovani Lima Soares' second cross found the foot of Mubake, who flicked the ball onto Rusin at the back post for a soft volley into the back of the net. Rusin's first collegiate goal gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead.

Looking to equalize in the 80^th minute following a red card to Hedge, Kodai Tanaka spun from inside the box and had his shot blocked before Ganga jumped on it to clear a threat.

At the other end of the field, BU won a free kick with Buster Honeywood whipping a shot around the side of the Pilot wall, but Mcleish came up with a stop to keep LSUS down just a goal.

However, Bellevue saw the game out from there, allowing a corner and a shot. Joel Trueb's effort in the 88^th minute sailed over the crossbar, and the Bruins picked up the victory to return to the quarters for the second-straight season and third time in program history.

In a defensive battle, neither team had many scoring opportunities in the contest, with the Bruins holding a slim 2-1 margin in shots on goal. The Pilots held an 11-9 advantage in shots and a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.