JACKSON, Miss. — The Millsaps men's soccer team gave their all on the field but fell short to Berry College, 3-1 at Harper Davis Field on Saturday.
Berry (6-4-3, 1-2 SAA) scored all three goals in the first half, securing the victory despite Millsaps (6-4-2, 1-2 SAA) taking 10 total shots. Both teams netted five shots on net and posted 15 fouls each in a tough matchup.
Freshman Dylan Speaks scored his second goal of the season as classmate Raul Blandon contested three shots and two shots on goal. Fellow first-year student-athlete Christian Lopez boasted one shot on goal.
Sophomore Drew McKeithen recorded two shots, while second-year student Alden Romano and freshman Trinden Holliday where both credited with an assist on Speaks' goal in the first half.
Sophomore Ellis Dykes finished with two shots and a shot on goal in the head-to-head matchup. Senior Michael Hamauei made two saves on the day against the Vikings.
The first half began with the Majors hitting the ground running defensively, as Hamauei successfully defended an early shot from his opponents in the third minute of the contest.
Blandon narrowly missed his shot as Berry's goalkeeper made his first save in the 12th minute.
A little more than three minutes later, the Vikings scored their first strike of the matchup following Blandon's hard-fought effort. As the first half progressed, Berry extended their lead to 2-0 by the 20th minute.
The Vikings celebrated their third goal of the first half to take a 3-0 advantage in the 25th minute.
The referee then stopped the first half after a Berry player unfortunately took a ball high in the face. A drop ball with four seconds left booted toward the goal by Romano from midfield deflected off Holiday's foot before Speaks would back heel the ball to score with less than one second remaining before halftime.
The second half began with Millsaps attempting to overcome a two-goal deficit against Berry, despite a series of fouls committed by both teams.
Millsaps generated offensive pressure, with Lopez and Mckeithen each taking crucial shots between the 70th and 74th minutes of the second half.
As the second half progressed, Blandon played with continued toughness and determination, generating consecutive shots to challenge Berry's goalkeeper in the 85th minute.
After a hard-fought battle by the Majors, the match concluded with Berry maintaining their lead, ending the game with a final score of 3-1 on Saturday.
The Majors will be back in action on Tuesday, Oct. 14 to host the United States Sports University at Harper Davis Field, beginning at 7 p.m. Live video and live stats will be available at gomajors.com.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps College men's soccer program follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook and 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.
