The Bellarmine University men’s soccer team is gearing up for what looks to be an exciting 2023 season. Coming off a 2022 campaign where they went 6-4-8 overall and made a run to the ASUN Tournament semifinals, expectations are high for the Knights to take another step forward this year.

Bellarmine returns a solid core from last season’s squad, including seven players who made at least eight starts. Leading the way is senior goalkeeper Matthew Brozovich, who earned All-ASUN honors after recording six shutouts and a .802 save percentage. Also back is junior forward Juan Ballas, a two-time All-ASUN selection who will be counted on to spearhead the attack. 

In preparation for the regular season, Bellarmine tuned up with a pair of exhibition matches. They took on Oakland City at home on August 11th, battling to a 1-1 draw. Then on August 18th, the Knights travel to Xavier for their last preseason match. 

“The exhibitions were a good opportunity for us to knock off some rust and get game ready,” said head coach Tim Chastonay. “We saw some encouraging signs but also areas we need to sharpen up before the real games begin.”

Bellarmine’s regular season schedule is a challenging one, with road matches against tough opponents like Evansville, Louisville, IUPUI, and Belmont. However, Chastonay believes his team is up for the task.

“We embraced having a tough non-conference slate. It will get us battle tested for when ASUN play rolls around,” he said.  

The Knights open conference action on September 16th at defending ASUN Tournament runner-up Central Arkansas. Their home ASUN opener comes a week later against 2021 and 2022 tournament champ Lipscomb.  

“The conference looks wide open this year. We expect it to be tightly contested, which should make for an exciting race,” noted Chastonay.

With a balanced returning lineup and an influx of talented newcomers like freshman midfielder Colin Elder, who recently signed a USL Academy contract with Louisville City FC, Bellarmine seems poised to contend in the ASUN and vie for their first NCAA Tournament berth since moving to Division I. 

If the Knights can build on last season’s success and play to their potential, this could be a special year for the program. The journey starts soon, as Bellarmine opens their regular season slate on August 24th at Evansville.

Make sure to stick to Bluegrass Soccer Cast (@BGSoccerCast on all social media platforms) for full coverage of the Bellarmine Men’s Soccer team and everything soccer in our beautiful Commonwealth. 

(Photo: Bellarmine University Athletics)