HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Down two goals at halftime, the sixth-seeded University of West Alabama men's soccer team delivered a championship comeback Saturday afternoon, scoring three unanswered goals in the second half to defeat top-seeded and No. 7 nationally ranked Trevecca Nazarene, 3-2, and claim the Gulf South Conference Tournament Championship at John Hunt Park.
The victory moves the Tigers to 9-6-4 overall and secures the program's place atop the GSC Tournament after a remarkable postseason run. West Alabama knocked off the conference's third, second and first seeds in consecutive matches to capture the championship.
Trevecca Nazarene opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Chris Douglas finished a pass from Jack Franklin at the far post to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead at 6:13.
The Trojans added to their advantage in the 30th minute. Franklin stole possession and finished with a right-to-left diagonal shot at 29:52, sending Trevecca into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
West Alabama came out of the break with renewed urgency, and the Tigers quickly cut the deficit in half. At 49:09, David Nunez found the back of the net off an assist from Jesper Bakli, finishing a cutback pass into the left side of the goal to make it 2-1.
The Tigers continued to apply pressure, eventually finding the equalizer in the 67th minute. Kevin Garcia scored at 66:56 to bring West Alabama level at 2-2 and shift the momentum firmly in the Tigers' favor.
West Alabama completed the comeback less than nine minutes later. After earning a penalty kick, David Nunez stepped up and converted at 75:35, recording his second goal of the afternoon and giving the Tigers their first lead of the championship match at 3-2.
The UWA defense held firm over the closing minutes, protecting the one-goal advantage to secure the conference title.
Second-Half Surge
West Alabama controlled much of the second-half action, outshooting Trevecca Nazarene 17-5 after the break. The Tigers finished the match with an 18-14 advantage in total shots and put 11 attempts on target compared to five for the Trojans.
Trevecca goalkeeper Hunter Walker recorded eight saves, while West Alabama goalkeeper Dan Erezfinished with three saves. The Tigers also held a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Nunez led the way with two goals, including the championship-winning penalty kick, while Garcia added the equalizer. Bakli recorded an assist on Nunez's first goal, helping spark the second-half rally.
Championship Run
The sixth-seeded Tigers completed an impressive run through the GSC Tournament, defeating No. 3 seed Alabama-Huntsville, No. 2 seed Auburn-Montgomery and No. 1 seed Trevecca Nazarene to claim the conference championship.
West Alabama's 3-2 victory over the Trojans capped a postseason run defined by resilience, as the Tigers overcame a two-goal halftime deficit against the top-seeded team to bring the GSC Tournament title back to Livingston.
Fifth GSC Tournament Championship
With the victory, West Alabama captured its fifth GSC Tournament Championship since joining the conference in 2012, when the men's soccer program began competing in the GSC, first since 2017. The five tournament titles are the most by any men's soccer program in the conference during that span, moving the Tigers past West Florida, which has claimed four championships.
The milestone further establishes West Alabama as the GSC's most successful men's soccer program in tournament championship history since 2012, adding another title to the program's legacy.
With the championship victory, West Alabama finishes the GSC Tournament as conference champions after taking down three of the league's top seeds. And have now punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, with the Watch Party to see what seed the Tigers are in the tournament will be on Monday, November 9th at 5:30 PM CT from Pruitt Hall.
