CLINTON, Miss. — Mississippi Christian University men's soccer carried a one-goal advantage into halftime Saturday afternoon, but four unanswered second-half goals lifted West Alabama to a 4-1 victory in Gulf South Conference action.
The Choctaws (3-6-4, 2-4-3 GSC) struck first behind a goal from Karim Gegg in the 36th minute before the Tigers (6-5-4, 4-2-3 GSC) rallied behind a second-half hat trick from David Nunez to secure the conference win.
Mississippi Christian opened the contest with a strong defensive effort, limiting West Alabama's scoring opportunities while creating chances of its own throughout the opening 45 minutes.
After a physical start to the match, the Blue and Gold broke through in the 36th minute when Gegg found the back of the net off an assist from Lian Feridani, giving MC a 1-0 advantage.
The Choctaws continued to apply pressure following the goal, earning another corner kick and generating opportunities from Gabriel Paes e Sa and Luke Nolan. Nolan placed an attempt on target that was turned away by West Alabama goalkeeper Dan Erez, while Gegg added another shot before the break.
MC carried its 1-0 lead into halftime after holding the Tigers scoreless through the opening period.
The Choctaws looked to extend their advantage early in the second half, with Hayden Mulrooney sending a shot high in the 49th minute before Patrick Vukoje forced a save in the 58th.
However, West Alabama shifted the momentum moments later when Nunez connected on a pass from Florian Laot in the 58th minute to even the match at 1-1.
Nunez struck again in the 65th minute to give the Tigers their first lead of the afternoon before completing his hat trick in the 71st minute, extending West Alabama's advantage to 3-1.
The Tigers added their fourth goal in the 80th minute when Jesper Bakli found the back of the net to push the margin to three.
Despite the second-half deficit, Mississippi Christian continued to battle offensively. Vukoje and Nolan each placed late attempts on goal, while the Choctaws earned a corner kick in the final minute but were unable to cut into the deficit.
MC finished with nine shots, including six on goal, while West Alabama recorded 11 shots and four corner kicks. The Choctaws also generated three corner kicks in the contest.
Gegg led the Blue and Gold offensively with his first-half goal, finishing with two shots and two points. Feridani contributed the assist and placed his lone shot on target.
Nolan and Vukoje each recorded two shots, with all four attempts landing on goal, as the Choctaws continued to create scoring opportunities throughout the match.
The loss moved Mississippi Christian to 3-6-4 overall and 2-4-3 in Gulf South Conference play, while West Alabama improved to 6-5-4 overall and 4-2-3 in league action.
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