MSOC
2
Winner Bob Jones University BJU (5-7-2)
1
Pensacola Christian College PCC (7-4-3)
Winner
Bob Jones University BJU
(5-7-2)
2
Final
1
Pensacola Christian College PCC
(7-4-3)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Bob Jones University BJU 0 2 2
Pensacola Christian College PCC 0 1 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Braden Mottor

Eagles Fall 2-1 to the Top-Seeded Bruins

Match Recap:
In one of the most anticipated matches of the season, the #2-ranked Eagles hosted the nation's #1-ranked Bob Jones University Bruins on Saturday night in a battle between the NCCAA's top two teams. Entering the night, the Bruins held a narrow 7-6-1 advantage in the all-time series, and both sides came in determined to make a statement, not only in the South Region standings but on the national stage as well. With the eyes of the NCCAA soccer world watching this #1 vs. #2 showdown, both teams delivered a thrilling performance. After a scoreless opening half, the Eagles struck first, but despite striking first, the Eagles ultimately fell short to the Bruins, 2-1. 
 
The opening half was tightly contested from the start, with both teams trading possession and creating chances. The Eagles appeared to control much of the possession, but the Bruins looked dangerous on the counterattack and created several of their best looks in transition. Bob Jones outshot the Eagles 10-7 in the first half, forcing goalkeeper Nathaniel Hixson to make three key saves to keep the match scoreless heading into halftime.
 
Both teams came out aggressive after the break, continuing to push for the opening goal. The breakthrough finally came in the 58th minute from an unexpected connection between the Eagles' keeper and one of the team's top scorers. Following a Bruins attack, Hixson sent a booming punt downfield that took a perfect bounce straight to the feet of forward Jackson Clarke. As the Bruins' keeper rushed out to make a play, Clarke calmly tucked the ball inside the bottom-right corner to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. But the advantage didn't last long. Just seven minutes later, the Bruins capitalized on a free kick from outside the box, curling in the equalizer to make it 1-1 with 25 minutes to play. Six minutes after that, Bob Jones found the go-ahead goal off a corner kick. Hixson made the initial save, but the rebound fell to a Bruins attacker who finished the second-chance effort to give the visitors a 2-1 lead with under 20 minutes remaining. Refusing to back down, the Eagles pressed hard in the closing stretch, outshooting the Bruins 5-1 in the final 15 minutes. Despite several opportunities and strong build-up play, the equalizer never came, and the Bruins held on for the 2-1 road victory.
 
Statistically, the battle between the top two teams in the nation was as close as it gets. The Bruins narrowly outshot the Eagles 17-15, while the corner kick count was nearly even at 7-6 in favor of Bob Jones. The match also saw double-digit fouls on both sides, with 11 against PCC and 10 against BJU, and one yellow card issued to each team. In another tightly contested battle between these South Region rivals, the Bruins edged out the Eagles by just one goal, the 10th time in these teams' 15 total matchups with a goal differential of only one. 


What's Next:
Next Saturday, the Eagles host Trinity College of Jacksonville on Eagle Field. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM on Saturday, come out and cheer on the Eagles in their final home match of the 2025 season. Our 2025 seniors will be honored next Saturday, so come out and support Nathaniel Hixson, Chris Martinez, Jacob Bundy, Angel Pietri-Garcia, Colin Elms, Reid Rhodes, Branson Phelps, Aaron Gamonal, Tyler Csorba, and Odanci Ndayisaba!
 
Stay updated on the Eagles' season by following @eaglespccmsoc on Instagram. For full coverage of all PCC Eagles teams, events, and schedules, follow @eaglespcc on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram.