MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The William Carey men's soccer team captured its fifth SSAC Tournament Championship and first since 2021 Saturday night, scoring a pair of spectacular first-half goals to defeat Faulkner 2\-1.
"Two amazing goals and probably two of the best we've scored all year," said head coach
Barry Farrell. "Getting those two early against a good team like Faulkner, I knew that would come in clutch for us."
Scoring opportunities were limited in the opening half, as the Crusaders managed just two shots on target. However, Carey made the most of its chances, striking first in the 11th minute.
Souleymane Balde launched an unbelievable shot from midfield that caught the Faulkner goalkeeper off guard and gave WCU an early 1-0 advantage.
The Crusaders doubled their lead just eight minutes later.
Fabian Arroyo collected a loose ball outside the 18-yard box and fired a strike past the Eagles' keeper to make it 2-0.
From there,
Pablo Diez and the Carey defense held firm for much of the half. Diez recorded three saves before Faulkner finally broke through in the 43rd minute, cutting the deficit to 2-1 heading into halftime.
The Crusader defense elevated its play after the break, with Diez delivering several critical stops to preserve the lead. Faulkner generated 11 second-half shots, including five on goal including a penalty kick opportunity in the 85th minute.
Diez made three outstanding saves by the 81st minute before coming up with the biggest play of the match late in regulation. After making a save in the 85th minute, Faulkner was awarded a penalty kick moments later. Diez responded with a diving stop on Konsti Witte's attempt, preserving Carey's one-goal advantage.
"It was tough because you have a lot of time to think about where the ball is going to go," said Diez. "Thankfully, I saved it and did my job. I'm very happy because the team had a great effort in the second half to get the win."
The Crusader defense took control from there, allowing only one shot over the final minutes to secure the championship victory. Diez finished the match with eight saves, including five in the second half, while playing all 90 minutes.
William Carey now turns its attention to the NAIA National Championship. The Crusaders will compete in the opening rounds of the NAIA National Tournament at campus sites Nov. 19-21.
