Belhaven University’s men’s soccer team has brought its first-ever Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Championship to Jackson.
A successful outing on the pitch on Saturday found the Blazers a 2-0 victor over top-seeded Covenant in a rematch of 2023’s conference title contest.
At the 34-minute mark, Blazer midfielder Samuel Hadley volleyed a deflected corner from near midfield to give Belhaven a 1-0 lead ahead of the midway intermission.
Another look at Samuel Hadley’s long-range volley to open the scoring in the @CCofSouth Championship#GoGreen | @ESPNAssignDesk | #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/oI0LK7GAh3
— Belhaven Men’s Soccer (@BelhavenSoccer) November 9, 2024
Following the break, Belhaven extended its lead when midfielder Matt Smith connected on a free kick at the 68-minute mark to seal a championship win for the Blazers.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙉𝙖𝙞𝙡 from Matt Smith to seal our first CCS Championship#GoGreen | #GoBlazers pic.twitter.com/jgjpEPopog
— Belhaven Men’s Soccer (@BelhavenSoccer) November 9, 2024
The win marks Belhaven’s first conference championship in the program’s NCAA era. A storied NAIA program with two NAIA National Championships, the Blazers will now embark on their first opportunity in the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer tournament.
Belhaven earned the CCS’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will face Trinity in the first round on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT. The Blazers’ upcoming game will be a challenge as Trinity has not lost a match this season.
As for Belhaven’s women’s soccer team, the Blazers saw their season come to an end on Saturday in the final of the CCS Championship Tournament with a close 1-0 defeat against Maryville.
