Belhaven University Athletics

JACKSON, Miss. - Belhaven built a two goal halftime lead, but Huntingdon rallied to force overtime and advanced on penalty kicks in Saturday's CCS Tournament quarterfinal at Belhaven Bowl Stadium. The teams finished tied 2-2 after 110 minutes before the Hawks won the shootout 4-2.

Luke Finley and Zachary Howard scored first-half goals for the third-seeded Blazers, who finished the season 8-7-3 overall. Justin Ramirez made six saves, including a stop in the closing seconds of the first overtime period.

Belhaven struck first at the 21-minute mark. Finley finished with Adrian Sanchez and Miguel Magagnin credited with assists, giving the Blazers the lead after the teams played to a scoreless draw a week earlier in Montgomery.

Finley nearly added another five minutes later, forcing Huntingdon goalkeeper Trent Wineberg to save his attempt towards the bottom left corner.

Howard came off the bench in the 25th minute and doubled the lead at 30:28 with an unassisted goal courtesy of a strike in the top left corner. CJ Koppeis tested Wineberg again in the 34th minute as Belhaven continued to create chances.

The Blazers took a 2-0 advantage into halftime after outshooting the Hawks 6-3 in the half. Ramirez stopped Baron Wright in the 44th minute to preserve the lead heading into the break.

Huntingdon answered early in the second half. Edson Gonzalez scored at 50:37 to cut the deficit in half, then forced another save from Ramirez in the 58th minute.

The Hawks continued to press. Ramirez denied Chance Walters in the 61st minute and Gonzalez again in the 68th, but Huntingdon pulled even at 71:24 when Aiden Hovatter scored off an assist from Alex Ponce.

Both teams had opportunities to settle the match in regulation. Ramirez stopped Wright in the 83rd minute, and Wineberg answered with a save on Dimitri Stratikis at 84:47. Finley sent an attempt wide moments later, and the match went to overtime tied 2-2.

Belhaven outshot Huntingdon 8-1 across the two extra periods. Sanchez, Ricardo Flores and Finley each had attempts in the first overtime, while Ramirez turned away Daniel Wyborn with nine seconds remaining before the teams changed ends.

The Blazers kept pushing in the second overtime. Wineberg saved Diego Sarzalejo's shot in the 103rd minute and Magagnin's in the 106th. Finley had Belhaven's final attempt at 108:08, but neither side could find a third goal.

Sanchez and Flores converted Belhaven's first two penalties, with Ponce and Hovatter answering for Huntingdon. Finley missed the Blazers' third attempt before Connor Egan put the Hawks ahead. After Ciaran Colvin missed in the fourth round, Wyborn converted to send Huntingdon through.

Finley led Belhaven with five shots, including two on goal. Sanchez took four shots, and Sarzalejo added three. The Blazers finished with a 21-15 advantage in shots and a 3-1 edge in corner kicks. Huntingdon put eight attempts on goal to Belhaven's seven, and Wineberg finished with five saves.

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