Date Posted: 11/14/2007

DeLAND, Fla. - In the first Atlantic Sun Men's Soccer Championship match in program history, Lipscomb faced a familiar foe in Belmont. The two battled to a scoreless tie in September, but in the 17th minute of their quarterfinal showdown, Ben Page, the Bisons' first-ever First-Team All-Atlantic Sun performer capitalized on Belmont foul inside the penalty box and with a successful penalty kick. His tally represented the lone goal of the match as Lipscomb (6-11-3) hung on for the 1-0 win on Wednesday to advance to the semifinals of the Men's Soccer Championship, presented by Bealls Outlet.

Page's goal, his sixth of the season, came following a Belmont foul on Miguel DaSilva's push towards the net. Page's penalty shot beat Belmont (7-10-2) keeper Ron Gravely with a shot to Gravely's left.

"We were knocking the ball around the box...Miguel beat the defender and was about to put it away and he got dragged down," Page said. "You have to step up and put [the penalty kick] away. I think it's a confidence thing that you know you're going to make it."

Belmont repeatedly gave itself chances to level the score. Twenty minutes after Page's goal, midfielder Justin Hay missed wide on an attempt and early in the second half, his header missed just wide of the target. The Bruins, who outshot the Bisons by a 16-7 differential, made one last attempt in the games final minutes. Senior Justin Mooneyhan missed high with a shot in the games' 86th minute.

"I thought we were looser before we scored, certainly playing better," Lipscomb head coach Charles Morrow said. "To Belmont's credit, they made some adjustments. They gave us some problems and we really had to battle."

The Bisons extended the win streak of programs making their first trip to the Men's Championship. With Gardner Webb's championship last year, schools at its first Championship have won three straight matches. For the Bruins, their struggles at the Championship continue for another year. Despite making the field five straight years, the Bruins once again failed to advance beyond the opening round. The Bruins own a dubious 0-4-1 all-time Championship mark.

"We knew coming in that Belmont would be a tough game," Morrow said. "Belmont, probably out of all the teams here...is probably the team that we like to face least. They are very tough to play against."

Lipscomb moves on to face Jacksonville, the regular-season champion. The two met in late October in Nashville, Tenn., with both still alive for the regular-season crown. The Dolphins ended the Bisons' four-game win streak with 3-0 win. Player of the Year Anton Axelsson scored the first goal of the night and Matt Gilman earned the shutout after making eight saves.

"I feel good about [facing Jacksonville]; we're a lot more healthy than we were then," Morrow said. "We've got our full complement of players unlike when we played the first time. I think its going to be a fun game and we're looking forward to it."

The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

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