Lipscomb Battles Louisville to a Hard-Fought 1-1 Draw in Exciting Nashville Soccer Showdown

Courtesy Lipscomb Athletics

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Lipscomb Bisons delivered a hard-fought performance Tuesday night at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex, earning a 1-1 draw against the University of Louisville Cardinals in an exciting non-conference matchup.

The first half was competitive but scoreless. Louisville controlled much of the early tempo, but the Bisons settled in, gaining more possession and creating chances as the game progressed. William Bryan was particularly dangerous down the left wing, helping Lipscomb earn multiple corner kicks and forcing Louisville goalkeeper Alex Svetanoff to make several key saves.

The breakthrough came in the 58th minute. Lipscomb’s Baxter Hurt rose above the defensive crowd to head in a perfectly placed corner from Will Kennedy, giving the Bisons a well-deserved 1-0 lead.

However, the lead was short-lived. Just five minutes later, Louisville responded when Olayinka Ogunleye converted a corner kick from Leon Kondic with a powerful header to tie the game at 1-1.

From that point on, Louisville showed more control, pushing to take the lead. The Cardinals finished with 52 percent possession and outshot Lipscomb 18-15 overall. The Bisons, often on their heels, relied heavily on defenders Zach Kennedy and Levi Jones to disrupt Louisville’s attacks. Goalkeeper Alex Kara was also crucial, making several critical saves, especially in the final moments.

As the clock wound down, Lipscomb grew more assertive, pressing forward and testing Louisville’s back line. In the dying seconds, Louisville earned a free kick just outside the box, but Kara came up big, punching the ball away and stopping a potential game-winning attempt. The play sparked a brief skirmish between the teams after the final whistle.

The match ended 1-1, leaving Lipscomb with a record of 1-8-5. While the result against an ACC opponent facing its own struggles this season may not be exhilarating, it was a respectable showing for Bison fans.

Lipscomb returns to ASUN Conference play Saturday, October 25, when they welcome Bellarmine to the Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and fans are hopeful the Bisons can build on the momentum from their strong effort against Louisville.