BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Richard Jata scored the game’s lone goal in the ninth minute and Campbell kept its Atlantic Sun Conference record unblemished Saturday night with a 1-0 victory over Belmont at the Eakes Athletic Complex.
After Stephen Oyuga was fouled about 25 yards from the Belmont goal, Jata curled a right-footed shot over the wall and into the upper left side of Ron Gravely’s net. The senior from Port Richey, Fla., delivered the game-winning goal for the third-straight match as Campbell (8-5-0, 6-0-0 A-Sun) won its sixth in a row and remained unbeaten (6-0) at home this year.
“Restarts win games, and tonight we turned one of the many fouls that have been committed against our team into a goal,” said Campbell head coach Doug Hess.
Campbell stands 15-0-1 in games when Jata has scored since the midfielder joined the program in 2006.
The Camels own the best A-Sun regular season record (22-4-4) of all league members since the start of the 2005 season. CU is also unbeaten in its last 12 games against A-Sun opponents (10-0-2) dating to a 3-2 setback at Lipscomb on Oct. 13, 2007.
In a game matching two teams ranked in this week’s NSCAA South Region poll, Campbell (6th) keeper Aaron Johnson had to make only one save while recording his fourth shutout of the season and 16th of his career.
Johnson moved into a tie for second place on Campbell’s career goalkeeping shutouts list with Joe Moreschi (1982-85).
Belmont (7-5-2, 2-1-2) had only one shot on goal, a 56th minute attempt outside the box by Dan Meacock. The Bruins only were able to attempt one shot in the opening half. Four of their five second-period attempts missed the target.
After Jata put Campbell ahead, the Camels nearly doubled the lead in the 30th minute when outside back Austin Skakle dribbled into the attacking third, but his right-footed shot missed just wide of the left post. Belmont went the final 39:43 of the opening half without a shot.
Belmont’s best chance to equalize came in the 51st minute when Johnson came out of his net to punch a cross that fell to Belmont’s Navarda Heath. The Jamaican attempted an overhead kick at the top of the area, but the ball sailed wide of the left post.
Campbell twice hit the woodwork in the final 45 minutes and Belmont keeper Ron Gravely finished with six saves – five in the second half – to keep the Bruins within a goal.
In the 60th minute, Justin Madrid hit a dipping effort from 30 yards that Gravely dove and tipped beyond the left post. Just three minutes later, Bryan Dornseif connected on a left-footed shot that beat the Belmont keeper, but bounded off the crossbar.
Gravely then denied a goal at the far post by Jason Keever with a point-blank save less than a minute later.
The Camels nearly had an insurance goal in the 83rd minute after Johnson cleared the ball and Vince Petrasso collected it in the midfield, cut back in the box and nailed a low left-footed shot that hit the right post.
In the final minute, Belmont’s Cyrus Eaton got a head on a cross, but was unable to direct his attempt on frame.
Campbell finished with a 14-6 edge in shots, including a 7-1 advantage in shots on goal.
The Fighting Camels return to action on Thursday in a 7:00 p.m. kick-off at USC Upstate.
CU has won 24 of 29 home games since the start of the 2005 season, and is 6-0-0 (with a 15-6 goal differential) in 2008 at the Eakes Complex. CU has not lost at home since a 2-1 setback to UNC Greensboro on Nov. 7, 2007.
Belmont was the fourth-straight team with an unbeaten A-Sun record the Camels faced. North Florida, Jacksonville and Lipscomb had not lost until playing CU.
Campbell 1, Belmont 0
Scoring:
CAM (8:54) Richard Jata (unassisted)
Shots: Belmont 6, Campbell 14
Shots on Goal: Belmont 1, Campbell 7
Corner Kicks: Belmont 2, Campbell 5
Saves: Belmont (Ron Gravely) 6, Campbell (Aaron Johnson) 1
Fouls: Belmont 17, Campbell 9
Yellow Cards: Belmont – Alex Davis (44:11), Dan Meacock (88:34); Campbell – Richard Jata (50:57).
Red Card: Campbell – Jata (88:52) (2nd yellow)
Records: Belmont 7-5-2, 2-1-2 A-Sun; Campbell 8-5-0, 6-0-0
Courtesy: GoCamels.com