Trojans Fall Short in GSC Title Game but Secure Historic NCAA Bid

HUNTSVILLE, AL - The No. 7 Trevecca Nazarene men’s soccer team came within striking distance of its first Gulf South Conference tournament championship Saturday afternoon, only to see a 2-0 halftime lead evaporate in a 3-2 loss to sixth-seeded West Alabama at the Loretta P. Spencer Sports Complex.

The Trojans, who finished the season 14-2-2 after claiming a share of the regular-season GSC title, controlled the opening 45 minutes. Junior forward Chris Douglas, the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year and the nation’s leading scorer, opened the scoring in the seventh minute off a pass from senior captain Jack Franklin. Franklin added a second goal of his own in the 30th minute, capitalizing on a defensive miscue to give Trevecca a commanding advantage. The Trojans outshot the Tigers 9-1 before the break.

West Alabama refused to fold. David Nunez pulled the Tigers within one early in the second half. Kevin Garcia equalized in the 67th minute, and Nunez converted a late penalty kick to complete the comeback and secure the automatic NCAA berth for UWA. Goalkeeper Hunter Walker made six saves in the defeat but could not stem the second-half tide.

The loss ended a 10-match winning streak and denied Trevecca its first GSC tournament crown. Yet the season remains a landmark achievement. Picked eighth in the preseason poll, the Trojans climbed as high as No. 7 nationally, won a share of the regular-season title for the program’s first conference championship in any sport, and reached the tournament final for the first time.

Head coach Danny Leavy, named GSC Coach of the Year in his 18th season, guided the turnaround from a 6-8-3 campaign a year ago. “I’m so glad I got to be a part of the greatest night in the history of Trevecca men’s soccer,” Leavy said after the regular-season clincher. That same belief carried the team deep into November.

Douglas finished with 20 goals, becoming only the third player in program history to reach the mark. Captain Franklin earned All-Tournament recognition alongside Douglas and Manuel Alonso after contributing key goals and leadership throughout the postseason. Walker, the GSC Defensive Player of the Year, anchored a defense that routinely limited opponents and set multiple program records for clean sheets.

Despite the final result, Trevecca’s strong ranking in Super Region 2 positions the team favorably for an at-large berth in the 40-team NCAA Division II tournament. The selection show is scheduled for Monday evening. For a program that entered the year with modest expectations, the Trojans have already rewritten their history—and they still have more soccer left to play.