Rams Rally Late to Finish Season with Draw Against Tennessee Wesleyan

Photo courtesy of Bluefield University’s Athletic Communications Department.

Bluefield University’s men’s soccer team concluded its 2026 season with a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Tennessee Wesleyan on Halloween, Saturday, October 31, at East River Soccer Complex. The Rams rallied twice, with Oli Gudjonsson finding the equalizer in the final minutes to finish the season on a positive note.

Tennessee Wesleyan struck first just 1:54 into the match when Francesco Conti scored off an assist from Jake Fisher. Bluefield responded in the 21st minute as Sebastian Armijos found the back of the net at 20:38 to even the score 1-1. The teams remained tied heading into halftime.

The Bulldogs regained the lead in the 56th minute when Fisher scored at 55:09, putting Tennessee Wesleyan ahead 2-1. Bluefield continued to battle despite facing a significant advantage in shots from the Bulldogs.

With time winding down, the Rams found their breakthrough. Gudjonsson scored at 88:48 off an assist from senior Landon Murnahan, tying the match at 2-2 and securing the draw in the closing minutes.

Senior goalkeeper Canaan Newman played a major role in keeping Bluefield within reach, recording 13 saves across 90 minutes in his final match as a Ram. Tennessee Wesleyan outshot the Rams 26-4 and held a 16-3 advantage in shots on goal. Armijos and Gudjonsson each finished with a goal, while Murnahan recorded the assist on the late equalizer. The two goals for Bluefield ended a streak of seven straight games without a goal for the Rams.

The match also marked the final game played for Bluefield’s senior class. Seniors Canaan Newman, Sebastian Armijos, Landon Murnahan, Aiden White, and Stanton Cerda reached the end of their Bluefield careers as the program closed its 2026 campaign. Newman, Armijos, and Murnahan each made an impact in the season finale, with Newman recording 13 saves, Armijos scoring, and Murnahan assisting on the late equalizer. Their spots will be big shoes to fill next year.

The draw brought Bluefield’s season to a close with a 2-13-2 overall record and a 0-11-1 mark in Appalachian Athletic Conference play. Tennessee Wesleyan finished the match with an 8-5-4 overall record and a 6-3-3 record in conference play.

The Rams will look to regroup for next season after Coach Ryan McCarty’s first season as head coach showed some sparks and improvement from last season, but they will need to overcome struggling second-half performances that were a main theme this season.

Box Score: Men’s Soccer vs Tennessee Wesleyan on 10/31/2026 – Box Score – Bluefield University Athletics