JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps men's soccer team scored first against their crosstown rival Belhaven University in the opening matchup, but fell short in the second half, 3-1 to close out the regular season. The matchup took place at Belhaven Bowl Stadium on Wednesday night.  
 
Freshman Harrison Williams led the Majors with his first collegiate goal, which was unassisted. 
 
Freshman Ellis Dykes (two shot attempts), classmate Drew McKeithen and junior Sam Cagle all registered one shot on goal. 
 
Juniors Fisher DeCamp and Hogan Payne as well as freshmen Kaleb Wilkins and Nicholas Theriot all finished with a shot attempt against the Blazers. 
 
Belhaven outnumbered the Majors, 21-9 in total shot attempts with Millsaps junior goalkeeper Michael Hamauei recording eight saves. The Blazers held a narrow 6-5 lead in corner kicks to end the matchup. 

Harrison scored his first collegiate goal six minutes into the first half to give the Majors momentum early. He sailed the kick off his left foot with a curling shot to move the Majors ahead, 1-0. 
 
Millsaps would collect a block in the 10th minute and Hamauei would record a save off a pass from across the goal mouth four minutes later. 
 
In the 31st minute, Hamauei would issue out another solid save labeled for the top of the net after a Blazer attacker cut through defenders at the side of the goal.

However, Belhaven tied the matchup from a bouncing kick inside the box to make it 1-1. 
 
The Blazers would look for their first lead in the closing moments of the first half, but would be blanked by Hamauei with a shot targeted to the bottom center of goal.
 
As the first half concluded, both teams would go into halftime with a 1-1 draw. 
 
However, the Blazers increased the heat and pressure in the second half. Belhaven narrowly missed kick off a corner just right of the soccer post 90 seconds in. 
 
The home team then attempted a quality shot in the 49th minute, but it would be swallowed up by Hamauei. 
 
Belhaven's offensive attack finally resulted in a 2-1 advantage. A Blazers shot from 20 yards shot deflected off a Millsaps defender out front and deflected past Hamauei. 
 
Hamauei would come down with another great save in the 58th minute off a free kick as he rose up to stop a shot labeled for the top-right corner. 
 
In the 60th minute Dykes provided a great shot from a free kick, which he had targeted for top-right corner to nearly tie the match. 
 
The hosts looked poised to add to their advantage in the 68th minute but could not get around Hamauei, who was covering the low part of goal in a split-like position. Belhaven had to accept a shot off the right woodwork.

In the 74th and 75th minutes, Hamauei came out and stopped a pair of shots targeted for the bottom center and bottom left of the goal. 
 
Belhaven's continued relentless offensive attack resulted in a score off a corner kick headed in to increase their lead to 3-1. 
 
At the 83rd minute, Cagle made nifty moves between defender and found Theriot who shot a near miss. Less than a minute later, Payne sent a chance over the net in Millsaps' attempt at a comeback. 
 
In the 87th minute, a Blazers shot would curl just wide of the right post leading to a corner kick. Belhaven would record a header from the corner of the field and later take their last shot in the 89th minute to hold off the Majors, 3-1.
 
The 2024 Southern Athletic Association Men's Soccer Championship seeding will be determined with the remaining conference games on Saturday, Oct. 26. Millsaps will then travel to play the No. 2 seed for the First Round on Saturday, Nov. 2. Live video and live stats will be available at gomajors.com.


To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps men's soccer program follow the Majors on Twitter and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com. 
  
Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.