Lipscomb men’s soccer ready for their return to the pitch on Saturday

Lipscomb men’s soccer ready for their return to the pitch on Saturday

It’s been a long time coming, but the Lipscomb men’s soccer team can finally look forward to a full season of soccer. In all likelihood, it will be a season well worth the wait, as head coach Charles Morrow is optimistic about the Bisons’ squad this year. He says he’s especially excited about the mix of veteran leaders and youthful exuberance within the team. “We’re younger upfront [than last year] and more veteran in defense. If you had to choose, that would probably be the way to go.” One of the reasons the Bisons are so experienced on the backline is Nottingham, England native Louis Robinson’s positional move. After playing mainly forward last year, he and his attacking prowess are moving to the left-back position. With attack-minded fullback Noah Gulden occupying the right-back position, there’s a lot of expectation being placed on the outside defenders to create attacking chances for the Bisons. Alongside those two junior fullbacks are returning starter Honore Kalala and junior Scott Gulden, occupying the starting center back slots. It’s a quality back four that knows what they’re capable of, so expect some clean sheets for the Bisons this year. Meanwhile, as Coach Morrow alluded to, there are plenty of new faces in the attacking ranks. Javanne Smith is a freshman who joins Lipscomb from Chesterfield FC, a club in the 5th tier of the English soccer system. “Javanne is a forward for us that we expect to have a big year as a freshman,” Coach Morrow said when asked about freshmen to expect big things from. Another freshman forward in the mix is Tyrece Spicer,...
Backup goalkeeper helps Bisons hold on for conference-opening victory

Backup goalkeeper helps Bisons hold on for conference-opening victory

Even though the Bisons had to call on a substitute in net about halfway through the game, Lipscomb’s men’s soccer team opened ASUN conference play with a 1-0 victory over the Jacksonville University Dolphins. The Sept. 21 victory also was the Bisons first home victory of the season. Even though it was a low-scoring affair, the Bisons controlled the possession early and had several chances to put the ball in the net but were unable to convert these attempts. Finally, in the 34th minute, freshman midfielder Ruben Pedersen scored off an assist from senior midfielder John Wynia, putting the Bisons ahead 1-0, the final score. Entering the second half, Lipscomb seemed to continue to hold the edge in possession, until six minutes into the half, when starting goalkeeper freshman Michael Sibley was assessed a red card and was ejected from the game, leaving the Bisons with one man down and their backup keeper, freshman Alex Brown, in goal. But the Bisons were able to adjust and respond to this personnel advantage fielded by the Dolphins. “I thought that we did a good job of limiting their chances, protecting critical areas and making them play negative,” coach Charles Morrow said. “It [playing one man down] takes a lot of effort and a lot of work. Their willingness to put that work in is definitely something we can build off of for the rest of the season.” Brown’s strong play in goal was a huge contributor to Lipscomb being able to maintain their lead throughout the second half. “It’s a tough situation for Alex [Brown] to come in, not expecting to...
COLUMN: Lipscomb men’s soccer was an underdog with an asterisk

COLUMN: Lipscomb men’s soccer was an underdog with an asterisk

The Lipscomb men’s soccer team might have been an underdog, but this Cinderella packed quite a punch. The Bisons began the tournament by taking down No. 17 Washington and No. 9 Central Florida, which both clearly underestimated the upstart Lipscomb squad that turned a 1-7 start into an ASUN title. But Lipscomb’s final opponent was not caught napping. Kentucky was simply too well acquainted with the Bisons after the two squads met in each of the last three regular seasons. Kentucky used second-half goals from Jason Reyes and Bailey Rouse to eliminate Lipscomb and advance to the Elite 8, bringing the Cinderella story to a screeching halt. “They’re just good,” Lipscomb coach Charles Morrow said of the Wildcats. “The fact of the matter is, you look at [Kentucky], you look at UCF and you look at Washington, player for player athletically, the teams we’re playing are just better. “And we know that going into the game. That doesn’t mean that we can’t win.” You don’t have to look any further than the team’s most experienced (and arguably best) players to find more underdog tales. Forward Logan Paynter and goalkeeper Chris Zappia began their Lipscomb careers as redshirt nobodies, but the fifth-year seniors are now leaving the program as two of its best players in recent memory. Paynter, a former walk-on, and Zappia were roommates for their freshman season in 2014. Both shared in the frustration of sitting out after being the stars of their high school teams. “I know both of us played quite a bit in high school and with our club and academy teams, and coming to...
GAME PREVIEW: Can the Bisons pull another upset at Kentucky?

GAME PREVIEW: Can the Bisons pull another upset at Kentucky?

After back-to-back upset victories of Washington and Central Florida, the Lipscomb Bisons men’s soccer team has become the Cinderella story of the NCAA tournament. The travel-weary Bisons will now make the trek to Lexington for a rematch against the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats, who handed Lipscomb a 3-2 overtime defeat in Nashville on Sept. 18. “It was hard to watch Kentucky walk off our field with a win in a game that we thought we deserved to win,” Lipscomb goalie Chris Zappia said. The winner of Saturday’s game will play the winner of the Duke-Maryland match in the Elite 8 next week. Game information No. 16 Lipscomb (11-9) vs. No. 3 Kentucky (18-1-1) Kickoff: 6 p.m. CT Location: Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex (Lexington, Ky.) TV: SEC Network Plus/WatchESPN Series history These two teams have seen a lot of each other recently. In 2016, the Bisons battled to a 1-1 tie in a game that went to double overtime. Lipscomb forward Josue Chavez scored an early goal and Zappia made six saves, before the Wildcats got on the board in the 70th minute on a tally from Kaelon Fox. In 2017, Lipscomb pulled a 3-2 upset in Lexington behind goals from Logan Paynter, Ivan Sakou and Ryan Birchfield. Zappia made four saves to preserve the victory. Kentucky then returned the favor in overtime this season. Kalil Elmedkhar and Aime Mabika gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead, but Paytner and Birchfield answered with goals of their own in the second half. But J.J. Williams’s chip over Lipscomb goalie Luke Wilson cemented the 3-2 victory for Kentucky. “One of the core...
Zappia now shining for Bisons after waiting his turn

Zappia now shining for Bisons after waiting his turn

It’s safe to say that the Lipscomb men’s soccer team probably wouldn’t still be alive in the NCAA tournament without goalkeeper Chris Zappia. The fifth-year senior made eight saves against both No. 17 Washington and No. 9 Central Florida to help the Bisons pull off two improbable upsets and advance to the Sweet 16 against No. 3 Kentucky. “Chris is shining right now,” Lipscomb coach Charles Morrow said. “I’d say he’s playing his best, but it’s not like he’s not on par with what his best was last year. He’s been a great goalkeeper for us for several years now.” Zappia boasts a 10-4-1 record in net and has made 61 saves on the year. Entering Saturday’s match against the Wildcats, he has a .782 save percentage and is allowing just 1.07 goals per game. But unlike the six Lipscomb freshmen that are currently playing big roles for the Bisons, Zappia had to patiently wait his turn to become a significant contributor. His first three years in the program were spent behind Micah Bledsoe, who now plays for Nashville SC of the USL. From 2013-16, Bledsoe won 26 starts, had a save percentage of .735 and finished his career with 15 clean sheets. Zappia took over goalkeeping duties in 2017 and was instrumental in leading Lipscomb’s to its first-ever ASUN tournament title and NCAA tournament appearance. He finished the season with 11 wins and a .698 save percentage in 21 starts. “You can look at Chris and what’s he done as a model of perseverance and [how] good things come to those who wait and work hard,” Morrow said....