Box Score ST. LOUIS – [BOX SCORE] Missouri Baptist had chances to top Judson University Saturday afternoon, but settled for a 1-1 tie. The evenly-matched non-conference game didn't end with a winner after two overtime periods.
"We played slow in the first half, but were still able to create a few chances," head coach Jake Alvernia said. "It feels like a loss because we left five good scoring chances on the table. However, Judson is a great team with a great coach. They'll be tough on opponents all season long."
The one time the Spartans found the next happened in the 33rd minute. Ben Boyd ran down the right side to retrieve the ball and sent a cross into the middle. It deflected into the net off a Judson defender to put MBU ahead 1-0.
Gerardo Espinoza and Aris Nukic led the Spartans with three shots each. Espinoza hit the post in regulation and had another go just wide. For the game, Judson outshot the Spartans 20-19.
The Eagles scored the equalizer in the 67th minute when Bruno Haianon found the net off a pass from Victor Piccirillo.
Aside from the lone goal, freshman goalkeeper Braedan Passalis made five total saves and stopped everything else that came his way in his collegiate debut. Defender Ben Randolph played a huge role in the success of his rookie goalkeeper. His teammates named him the Man of the Match for his strong performance.
Alvernia said he was pleased with the way the team competed in the second half and overtime periods. Senior Selmir Ademovic had a scoring chance in the final seconds of overtime, but his shot went just wide.
The Spartans leave their two-game roadtrip to start the season undefeated and now return home to St. Louis. They'll play their home opener on Wednesday, August 31st against the University of Saint Francis. The game is part of the MBU Invitational Tournament that features the two teams plus LSU-Alexandria.
