CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Bluffton University men's soccer team went at it with Mount St. Joseph for 110 minutes, notching the first tie during Head Coach Robert Richardson's tenure at the helm. Host MSJ and Bluffton finished 2-2 under the lights in Cincinnati. Bluffton stands 0-2-1 overall and in the conference, while the Mount is now 1-1-1 in the Heartland Conference.

All of the scoring took place in the opening period with the two teams trading goals at a feverish pace. Sophomore Elijah Grieser (Wauseon/Pettisville) got the Beavers on the scoreboard just eight minutes in. Maximilian Pierce (Middletown/Lebanon) and Hunter Coffey (Wapakoneta) assisted on Bluffton's first goal of the season. Junior Dalton Taynor (Troy/Miami East) broke the 1-1 tie on a feed from Grant Ingham (Lebanon) in minute 24.

With the game again knotted up at 2-2, sophomore keeper Tanner Newport (Hamilton, Va./Loudoun Valley) came up huge when he denied a Luis Martinez Velez penalty kick at the 48:11 mark! The Beavers continued to keep the pressure on as the visitors finished with 10 shots on goal, two more than the Lions. Playing with two experienced starters sidelined on Wednesday night, Bluffton forged its first tie since 2015.

Two Beavers earned their first collegiate starts at MSJ with sophomores Evan Hill (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson), who played the full 110 minutes, and Andrew Bowers (Perrysburg) both on the pitch for kickoff. Grieser and Taynor fired four shots each with seven of those on frame, while Maxwell Kennedy (Strongsville) and Justin Combs (Union/Northmont) chipped in three shots apiece.

Newport worked the full 110 minutes in goal with six saves and the stuff of MSJ's penalty kick. The Lions forced four more corner kicks (11-7) and were whistled for nine more fouls (20-11).

Bluffton hits the road again on Saturday, March 13, when the Beavers travel to Anderson University. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. following the women's 1 p.m. matchup with AU.

-BEAVERS-