Shorthanded Pioneers Show Fight in 2-1 Road Loss at Tennessee Wesleyan

ATHENS, TN – For nearly 65 minutes, the Spartanburg Methodist College men's soccer team played a man down but still showed resilience in a 2-1 loss to host Tennessee Wesleyan on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (4-4, 3-2 AAC) secured the game-winning goal in the 75th minute when Nicko Bellot found the back of the net for the second time in the contest.

The Pioneers (1-5-1, 1-3-1 AAC) erased an early 1-0 deficit when sophomore Ossian Lindberg-Haak scored his first career goal, slotting a shot past the TWU goalkeeper for the equalizer.

"Despite a tough 2-1 loss, I couldn't be prouder of the fight our team showed today," said head coach Doug Smith. "After conceding an early goal, we responded with composure and resilience. Unfortunately, a red card put us down to ten men, but even under that pressure, the team's energy and determination never wavered. This performance is a clear sign of our growth, and it's only a matter of time before it all comes together for us."

SMC outshot TWU 11-9, led by Anthoney Bedolla Menera with three attempts. Pioneer goalkeeper Francesco Molinar recorded two saves in the match.

Next up, the Pioneers return home to host Johnson at Nash Soccer Field on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 4 p.m.