BRIDGEWATER, Va. - The Bridgewater College men's soccer team suffered their first home loss of the season on Saturday to Virginia Wesleyan 5-1.
 
The Basics 
 
Final Score: Virginia Wesleyan 5, Bridgewater 1
Records: Bridgewater 4-2-4 (0-2-2 ODAC), Virginia Wesleyan 8-2-0 (2-2-0 ODAC)
 
How it Happened 

• Bridgewater had an early chance with a corner kick in the game's opening 90 seconds but failed to register a shot as it was cleared away. Virginia Wesleyan tallied the games first shot as Nolan Schulte fired a shot on net that was scooped up by Charles Schweinefuss. The Marlins had a dangerous opportunity off of a corner kick and fired a shot from beyond the box on the clearance attempt and had it blocked. The official blew the play dead saying the shot was blocked by a handball in the box allowing for a VWU penalty kick. Schweinefuss stopped the initial shot, but the play was blown dead as an assistant referee said he moved too soon. On the second try Ilan Mejia found the back of the net to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead.
• Both teams had shot opportunities following the goal but neither got one on frame. Virginia Wesleyan earned a throw in in a dangerous spot in the 14^th minute and it got deflected multiple times in the box before Zach Bittler headed it into the net to make it 2-0 for the visitors.
• VWU kept the pressure on as Nolan Schlute found the back of the net just shy of the 20-minute mark to make it 3-0 for the Marlins. The Eagles finally registered a shot on net in the 35^th minute as Declan Gallagher flicked a header towards the frame off of a corner kick but it was grabbed by Jordan Smith.
• BC looked to increase the pressure coming out of the half but again Virginia Wesleyan kept the offense rolling with multiple shots early. In the 62^nd minute VWU had another serious chance as Schweinefuss made an initial save but the ball was knocked away from him by a Virginia Wesleyan player after he fell on it. The marlins fired another shot that was blocked as the Eagles keeper was on the ground while the third and final shot from Juan Tovar found the back of the net on the rebound to make it 4-0. The Marlins added to the lead with 18 minutes to go with a snipe from well outside the box to the opposite upper 90 to make it 5-0.
• Cole Dunbar got Bridgewater on the board in the closing stages of the game as his pressure led to some miscommunication in the VWU back line and Dunbar picked off a pass and drove past the goalie and scored to make it 5-1 in the 81^st minute but the damage had already been done.

 
Match Notes 

• Schlute led all players with four shots including three on net along with his goal.
• Sven different Eagles registered shots during the loss with Shulgan being the only one with multiple.
• Schweinefuss made four saves in the loss while the Marlins tandem of Smith and Ben Haynes made two each.
• VWU won the shot battle 19-8 including a 10-5 edge in shots on goal.

 
Up Next 
 
The Eagles look to rebound as they take on cross-town rival Eastern Mennonite on Tuesday evening at 4 p.m. at the Bridgewater Soccer Complex.