DELAND, Fla. – Stetson men's soccer takes to the road for a first-round showdown with Bellarmine in Conway, Arkansas at the Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex.

"We're playing one of the toughest teams in the conference with Bellarmine," head coach Emmett Rutkowski said "They're one of the most difficult teams to break down because their organization, structure and how they play. One of the hardest things for us is going to be how to score goals against them. I have a lot of respect for what Tim [Chastonay] does at Bellarmine, I think he's a really good coach at a really good program. We had trouble with them up their and it'll be a good first round match for us. Anytime you're going into the conference tournament getting wins, I think it sets the tone, and I like where we are right now. We have to figure out ways to be dangerous against the best defensive team in the conference. We have to be dynamic and find the best way to go against them. Bellarmine did a good job against us the first time we played and the big question is how do we break them down. It's on us, as a staff and as a team to execute that."

The Hatters and Knights faced off on October 8 in Louisville, Kentucky at the Bellarmine home field of Owsley B. Frazier Stadium. The match result was a goalless draw earlier in the year, with the only scoring chance coming from Andres Mata on a counterattack. The ASUN-All Freshman and second-team all-conference forward buried the chance but was ruled to have been in an offside position prior to receiving the ball.

BU's formation is traditionally lined up in a low block that make teams try to force the offense through all 11 players on the pitch. Directly correlated is that the Knights allowed the second fewest goals in the league with 13 on the year, less than one per game.

The Hatter offense seems to be clicking at the right time of year though because the Hatters have scored 10 goals in their last three matches. Andres Mata has been in extremely great form with two goals against FGCU and Jacksonville with another tally against Georgia Southern on senior night.

While the Knights strategy will see them potentially to a penalty shoot-out, neither side will want to face Central Arkansas following 110 minutes of competitive soccer. The winner will face the Bears on the Monday following the de facto quarterfinal round. That kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on the UCA YouTube channel.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS. Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics and, for live events, Hatter Vision.