LEBANON, Tenn. – Martin Walsh scored in each half and Cumberland put together its most complete performance of the season, posting a 4-0 victory over Campbellsville University in men’s soccer action here Sunday at Lindsey Donnell Stadium-Kirk Field.
The Phoenix (3-4-2, 2-0-0 Mid-South) posted their fourth shutout of the season and did so in dominating fashion, outshooting the Tigers, 18-5, in the process, including 14-1 in the second half.
Cumberland scored twice early in the first half, with Daniel Williams getting CU on the scoreboard in the 15th minute and Walsh finding the back of the net just 86 seconds later.
It stayed that way through intermission before Walsh scored again just 100 seconds into the second period. Bakary Bagayoko added the fourth CU goal in the 53rd minute and the Tigers (4-6-0, 1-2-0) played the final 23-plus minutes a man down after a straight red for Marco Minisini.
Cumberland goalkeeper Bennet Strutz started the scoring play on the home team’s first goal of the match with a long pass down the left side to Bagayoko, who headed the ball to Abdulkhalik Abdi. Abdi’s volley found a streaking Williams, who blasted a shot past Campbellsville goalkeeper Owen Stott for a 1-0 CU advantage in the 15th minute.
Williams returned the favor just over a minute later, feeding a pass down the right side to Walsh, whose shot far post got past a diving Stott for a 2-0 Phoenix advantage.
The second half started quickly for Cumberland, with Jonathan Walderstrom played a long ball down the left side to a streaking Walsh, who outmaneuvered a Campbellsville defender and fired past Stott high and at the near post into the top of the net for a 3-0 lead in the 47th minute.
In the 53rd minute Jose Gonzalez’s 20-yard pass down the middle found Williams, who tapped it by a charging Stott. Bakayoko took one touch and his shot into an empty net increased the lead to 4-0.
Stott posted four saves while Strutz had two for the Phoenix.
Cumberland plays at Georgetown College on Wednesday and hosts sixth-ranked Lindsey Wilson next Sunday at 2 p.m.
