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Harding University Athletics

Connor Galloway
Craig Rainbolt

Men's Soccer by Scott Goode

Early Goal Not Enough for Soccer Bisons at Belhaven

Josh Ireland scored for Harding less than four minutes into the game.

Junior Connor Galloway had assists on both Harding goals.
Box Score

JACKSON, Miss. – Harding University freshman Josh Ireland scored the Bisons fastest goal of the season but Belhaven answered with five straight goals and defeated Harding 5-2 in non-conference men's soccer action.

 

Harding (4-12-0) was playing its first game in 14 days, a 2-1 Gulf South Conference victory over Delta State. Belhaven (10-3-2), a member of the NAIA Mid-South Conference, won its fourth straight.

 

Ireland, a native of Searcy, Ark., took a feed from junior forward Connor Galloway and put Harding ahead 1-0 only three minutes and 29 seconds into the game. It was Ireland's second goal of the season. Sophomore Phillip McCormick had Harding's fastest goal of the season prior to Ireland, scoring 12 minutes into the Bisons' game against Williams Baptist.

 

Belhaven, which out-shot Harding 29-7 in the game, answered with the 14th goal of the season from senior forward Juan Rodriguez in the 28th minute. Junior defender Jose Robles made it 2-1 in the 41st minute that gave Belhaven a one-goal lead going into halftime.

 

Belhaven, playing its fifth straight home game, added three more goals to start the second period with Rodriguez adding his 15th in the 58th minute and Alan Cannon scoring goals in the 67th and 71st minutes.

 

Harding, still winless in nine games away from Searcy this season, closed out the scoring in the 80th minute as freshman Charles Zacheaus scored his first collegiate goal. The assist again went to Galloway, who had Harding's first two-assist game of the season and the second of his career.

 

Harding senior goalkeeper Andrew Flesher, drawing his first starting assignment in 2009, had a career-high 10 saves in goal for the Bisons, the most by a Harding goalkeeper this season.

 

The Bisons played the game without McCormick, who was serving a one-game yellow card suspension. McCormick has eight yellow cards on the season, forcing him to sit out the Belhaven game.

 

Harding returns to GSC action Sunday at First Security Stadium in Searcy. The Bisons will host Christian Brothers in a key conference matchup beginning at 3:30 p.m.

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