BELMONT, N.C. --- Two late goals broke a tie and lifted Tusculum University to a 3-1 victory over Belmont Abbey College in non-conference men's soccer action Wednesday evening.
Cristobal Morales scored the go-ahead goal with 7:02 left and Carlos Perez added an insurance tally with 35 seconds to go for the Pioneers (4-1-0), who held the Crusaders (2-2-1) without a shot on goal in the second half and just three in the match.
Mo Bouta also scored for the Pioneers, who received two assists from Devin Vital in the victory. Tusculum outshot Belmont Abbey 13-11 for the match, including an 8-4 margin in the second half. Zion Duncan scored the lone goal for the Crusaders just before halftime.
Belmont Abbey had a scoring chance in the opening minute of the match, but a shot from the top of the box by Brett Ramsey went high of the goal. In the seventh minute, Pa Nije put a shot from a sharp angle off the outside of the goal post for the Crusaders.
Tusculum had its first opportunity in the 12th minute, as a through ball put Morales behind the defense but his shot was stopped by Belmont Abbey keeper Trent McConnaughey. The Crusaders won a free kick in the 15th minute at the top corner of the box, but Walter Gomez's shot came in to Tusculum keeper Nicolas Leite on one bounce. A free kick from the Pioneers' Bouta was deflected high of the goal in the 17th minute.
McConnaughey kept the match scoreless in the 20th minute as a cross from the left wing came to Ludvig Radberg in the center of the box, but his left-footed try was steered away. Belmont Abbey nearly took the lead in the 31st minute, but a header by Duncan off a corner kick was headed off the line by Pioneer defender Othmane Chagour. Leite would make another save in the 37th minute on a free kick from Pat Hissim.
Tusculum would go ahead 1-0 at 38:22 as Bouta took a pass in stride from Devin Vital and rifled a shot from 30 yards to the left of a late-reacting McConnaughey. J-P Vital, who made the initial pass to his brother, also earned an assist on Bouta's first goal of the season.
Two minutes later, the Crusaders tied the game on a fluke goal as Leite came 25 yards out to clear a loose ball, but fired the ball off his defender and back toward the Pioneer goal, leaving an easy tap-in for Duncan at 40:42.
In the second half, Tusculum had a chance in the 53rd minute but a shot from Gaaj Laurin was wide of target. Alexander Ljusberg had the first two shots of the second half for Belmont Abbey, including a blast from 25 yards in the 54th minute that went high of the goal. Belmont Abbey's Nate Cox had an attempt in the 62nd minute that was wide of the left post from 20 yards.
Tusculum earned a corner kick in the 76th minute after having a pair of shot attempts knocked down by the Belmont Abbey defense, but a foul in the box off the service turned the ball back over to the Crusaders. The Pioneers would built an attack in the 80th minute, but a header by Perez off a cross was just wide of the far post.
The Pioneers would regain the lead at 2-1 at 82:58 as a loose ball off the end line bounced in front, where Morales volleyed a shot past McConnaughey for his second goal of the season. After Belmont Abbey was turned away on a pair of free kicks in the final 90 seconds, Perez would close out the scoring as he chased down a clearing pass from Devin Vital just past midfield and fired a shot past McConnaughey for his first career goal with 35 seconds remaining.
Both Leite and McConnaughey each had two saves in the match. Tusculum had a 4-3 edge in corner kicks but was called for 18 fouls to 14 by Belmont Abbey. The Crusaders were flagged five times for offsides to two for the Pioneers, with each team receiving three yellow cards.
Tusculum will resume its South Atlantic Conference schedule on Saturday, Sept. 16 when the Pioneers play their home opener against 16th-ranked Coker at 4:30 p.m. on Pioneer Field. Saturday's game has been dedicated to the memory of longtime supporter Henry Higgins, who passed away earlier this year.
