JACKSON, Miss. — The Millsaps men's soccer team put on an offensive and defensive showcase defeating Centre College, 6-0 at Harper Davis Field on Sunday.
The Majors scored the most goals in a conference regular-season game dating back to 1992 when Millsaps defeated Hendrix, 7-3. It was also the widest margin of victory ever in a conference game during the Majors' Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and Southern Athletic Association eras, beginning with the 1991 campaign.
The only ever time the Majors scored six goals against a conference foe was also against Hendrix in a 6-2 win during the 2015 SAA Tournament.
Sophomore Edward Steinwand and junior Alden Davenport worked to shutout the Colonel attack. Steinwand made one save, while Davenport stopped two shots in the final 15 minutes of action. Millsaps added a shutout-saving team save in the second half as well.
The combined shutout was the ninth of the season for the Majors, tying the program's all-time record for clean sheets.
Sophomore Raul Blandon led the Majors with two goals, propelling past the Colonels' defense to secure the victory on Sunday.
Junior Harrison Williams dominated against the Colonels, scoring his second goal on the season.
Freshmen Reid Brenner, Zachary Diamond, and Andrew Pearce all scored once to help the Majors climb over the Colonels in the regular-season home finale.
In the ninth minute of the first half, Williams would score off a beautiful volley with his right foot in the top right corner. His teammates ran to the corner to celebrate with the Dallas, Texas, native as Millsaps (8-5-3, 2-3-1 SAA) opened the contest with a 1-0 lead.
The first half would close with the same 1-0 score, but a critical tactical development would occur when the Colonels' Gideon Malone closed with yellow cards in the 43rd and 44th minutes.
The offenses forced Centre to play the rest of the match with 10 men, and Millsaps capitalized with five second-half goals.
In the second, Millsaps continued to attack the Colonels as Blandon nailed a penalty kick to the top left of the goal to score within the 50th minute. The shot was lightly touched and floated over the Centre keeper who leapt the other direction.
Blandon added his second goal of the half in the 57th minute when junior Ellis Dykes made a nifty pass through the box. Blandon left all alone potted the shot into the top left corner.
Millsaps moved ahead 4-0 after Brenner stole the ball from the Centre keeper near the goalmouth and tapped in the loose ball to further the advantage.
Diamond made it 5-0 after a shot was blocked and landed at his feet. He buried the chance off a corner in the top right of the frame.
The Majors made their final strike against the Colonels in the 82nd minute with Pearce capturing the last goal for the Majors after freshman Luca Da Silva made a cross to the Brooklyn, Miss., native as he volleyed the ball to top the Colonels' net, making it 6-0 on Sunday.
Millsaps next returns to action on Friday, Oct. 30 to battle Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Live video will be provided at FloCollege.com, while live stats will be provided on 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.
