WKU Soccer Ties with Belmont

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Soccer played to a 0-0 draw against Belmont on Sunday afternoon in the 90-plus degree heat at the WKU Soccer Complex. It was the Lady Toppers’ second game in the last three days, both shut outs for WKU.

The tie moves WKU to 1-1-4 on the season and gives Belmont a 1-3-2 record.

“I was pretty pleased with our effort today,” said head coach Jason Neidell. “It was hot and our second game of the weekend. I thought we started the game on our front foot and put them under a lot of pressure. One of the things we talked to the team about was engaging defensively higher up the field. We forced some turnovers that put us in a good position.”

After giving up eight goals in the first four matches of the season, WKU made some adjustments on defense and posted two shut outs in the last two matches. In that stretch, WKU held North Alabama and Belmont to just 11 combined shots over those two matches.

On Sunday, WKU outshot Belmont 14-3 including a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal. WKU was able to get off three shots, two on target, in the first seven minutes of the match. Sydney Ernst was the Lady Toppers’ leading shot taker with three in the match.

WKU’s best chance at a goal came from Ernst, who headed the ball out of the reach of the Belmont keeper but the ball sailed just an inch too high over the post. Brooke Sleeva also had an excellent look in the fourth minute when she sent a shot high towards the top of the goal, but the Belmont keeper was able to leap and make the save.

It was WKU goalkeeper Maddie Davis’ third clean sheet of the season. She earned the shut out with three saves in the match.

The Lady Toppers will hit the road for the first time in the regular season next week. WKU will travel to Evansville for a match on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. and then will go on to face Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana on Sunday, Sept. 10 at noon (CT).