PULASKI, Tenn. – The Belhaven men's soccer team picked up a key Southern States Athletic Conference victory on Saturday, defeating Martin Methodist 2-1 in overtime. The match marked the fourth consecutive time the two teams have played beyond regulation but just the first time the Blazers have been the celebrating team.
The two teams met in double overtime on three occasions a season ago, including one that eliminated the Blazers from the NAIA National Tournament. On Saturday, Belhaven made sure the contest didn't require a second extra period, leaving the defending National Champions winless in conference play.
"The boys fought hard all night, but we had to claw our way back in after giving up a soft goal on a corner," Head Coach
Carl Griffiths said. "Once we got it to overtime, it was only a matter of time. We knew we had to win, and we believed we would."
Juan Madrigal got the Redhawks on the scoreboard first after a scoreless first half after tapping the ball into the lower left corner on an impressive cross from Shane Powell. The Blazers got the equalizer with less than three minutes to play, when
Pedro DeSouza snuck one past MMC goalkeeper Stephen Lunney.
Just over five and a half minutes into the overtime period, the Blazers struck again, trickling the second goal past Lunney for the gamewinner. Lunney finished his night with six saves, while Belhaven counterpart
Daniel Prado needed each of his seven saves to help the Blazers to their first conference victory of the season.
Belhaven took a slight advantage in shots over their hosts, taking 17 against Martin Methodist's 16. Each team took eight on frame, while the Blazers took an 11-6 advantage in corner kicks.
The Blazers will return to SSAC action on Thursday, when they host 18th ranked University of Mobile at the Belhaven Bowl. The contest is set for a 7:30 pm start time.
"There is no doubt this was a huge win, as it was an important obstacle to overcome," Griffiths said. "This is definitely a boost to our confidence, so we need to build on tonight as we look forward to the next big match."
