Box Score
MONTGOMERY, Ala.- For the first time since 1992, the Belhaven men's soccer team is headed to the 2012 NAIA National Championship game on the strength of a 1-0 victory over top-seeded Lindsey Wilson College Friday afternoon. Junior Eduardo Cruz sent the Blazers to the title game with a 35 yard shot that hit the left post and bounded into the goal with 28 seconds left in regulation. On the 20th anniversary of the programs first and only national title, Belhaven now has a chance to notch number two on Saturday.

Belhaven (18-4-1) came in with a plan and executed it to perfection, which has been a theme throughout the course of this year's national tournament. The odds were stacked against the Blazers coming in with the loss of leading scorer Will Monsour, but the team has had different players step up throughout the course of the tournament to carry the load.

Lindsey Wilson (22-2-0) came in to this year's field as the defending NAIA National Champion, boasting nine national titles in all. The Blue Raiders entered the match ranked third in the nation in total goals (91) and third in goals per game (3.96). The last time Lindsey Wilson was shutout in a match, it came at the hands of the University of Rio Grande November 11th 2010. The last shutout in national tournament play was on December 1st 2008.

Both teams played excellent defense throughout the entire afternoon and it took a great shot by Cruz to break the deadlock as the game appeared to be headed to overtime. The Blazers made it a priority to win the battle in time of possession and they were able to deliver precise passes to limit Lindsey Wilson touches. Belhaven goalie Carl Blundell also had a hand in the shutout making four crucial saves. On the other side of the pitch, Lindsey Wilson goalkeeper Yuta Nomura turned away four shots as Belhaven applied more pressure in the second half.

Prior to Cruz's game winner, the Blue Raiders went on the attack and in the span of two minutes unloaded two shots on goal. Lebogang Moloto fired a shot off the hands of Blundell in the 86th minute followed by a Renan Serafim blast that was once again deflected away by Blundell.

Following an offside by Lindsey Wilson with 56 seconds to go, the Blazers quickly got to the ball and began the final journey up field. Cruz ended up with the ball on his foot after a header pass from Marco Pavlin. With time winding down Cruz knew he had to get a shot away. At the 35 yard mark in the middle of the field, Cruz put a solid strike on the ball bending it towards the left corner past a leaping Nomura. The shot caught the inside corner of the post ricocheting past the goal line for the game winner.

“Anytime you get a win against a great opponent like Lindsey Wilson it's a big accomplishment and I have nothing but respect for Coach Wells who runs a great program,” said Belhaven Head Coach Brian McMahon. “We tried everything we could to slow the game down and they have so many good players that can beat you. I'm really proud of our guys sticking to the game plan and doing a nice job. Defensively, we have a senior leader in Tom Cosgrave and he really kept it together for us. We kept our composure under pressure and found a way to win the game.” McMahon had this to say about Cruz and his clutch shot. “He's a special player, a leader, and captain on the team. Big time players step up in big time games and he did a great job today.”

Senior forward Loic Miliani led Belhaven in shot attempts with three followed by Nasser Chariff, Victor France, and Cruz with two each. For Cruz it was his sixth goal of the year. Pavlin did not take a shot, but was credited with the assist on the game winning kick. As a team, Belhaven outshot Lindsey Wilson 12-9. Blundell played all 90 minutes in goal and locked down his 16th win of the season.

Moloto paced the Blue Raiders with three shots, including two on goal. Phillip Sandgren also tallied three shots in the contest. Nomura logged all 90 minutes in goal for Lindsey Wilson, suffering his second defeat of the 2012 campaign.

Belhaven will move on to Saturday's championship game and will face Southern States Athletic Conference rival University of Mobile. The Rams defeated Mid-America Nazarene University in Friday's other semifinal 2-1.

Saturday's kickoff is slated for 3:00 PM. Fans can follow along with live stats, courtesy of Dakstats and the NAIA, and access the NAIA National Championship Tournament page by clicking here. Fans can see the game winning shot by Cruz courtesy of Tourbeau Sports by clicking here.