MONTEVALLO, Ala. — In a thrilling and hard-fought match against Montevallo on Friday evening, the Mississippi College men's soccer team secured the 2023 Gulf South Conference Regular Season championship, capping off their dominant season with a well-deserved title.

The final whistle blew with the score tied at 1-1, marking an intense showdown between the Choctaws (11-1-3, 7-0-3) and Montevallo (3-9-3, 2-5-3).

Mississippi College made a strong start, with Jayce Dotson breaking the deadlock to give the Choctaws a 1-0 lead. Montevallo responded just before halftime as they managed to level the score at 1-1. Neither team produced a goal in the second half, as the two teams ended the night with a 1-1 draw.

Both teams were evenly matched, with Mississippi College leading in shots on goal and corner kicks, while Montevallo held the advantage in fouls. Cole Turner made six crucial saves during the match in goal for MC.

While Jayce Dotson's goal was the highlight of the match, it was the collective effort of the entire squad that secured their regular season championship.

Yamato Fujishima finished with four shots, two shots on goal, in 81 minutes played on the night. Jayce Dotson tallied two shots, two shots on goal, all in 57 minutes played, including the lone goal. Sergio Garrido also finished with two shots and one shot on goal in his 69 minutes on the pitch. 

The Choctaws have been prolific on the field all season long, netting 55 goals this season, ranking them second nationally with an average of 3.82 goals per match. Additionally, they rank third nationally in points per game (10.21 points per game) and third in goal differential, with a margin of 40 goals.

MC closes out the regular season on Sunday at Auburn Montgomery at 3:30 p.m., offering one last opportunity to fine-tune their game before heading into the GSC Tournament play.