JACKSON, Miss. – Playing in one final regular-season road match, the LeTourneau University men's soccer team battled back from a 1-0 deficit to come away with a 1-1 tie at Belhaven University at the Belhaven Bowl in Jackson, Mississippi on Saturday, October 20th.
 
Coming away with a draw for the first time since September 9th, LETU is now 6-6-2 overall and 5-3-1 in the American Southwest Conference while the Blazers are now 4-9-3 overall and 2-7-1 following their home finale.
 
How It Happened:

• After a shot just 47 seconds into the game by the YellowJackets, Belhaven would appear to take control in the first half by putting up three shots and earning two corner kicks in the early stages of the match.
• Earning their third corner kick of the match in the 27th minute, the Blazers would manage to keep possession in the attacking third of the field and draw a foul inside the 18-yard box to be given a penalty kick opportunity at the 28:12 mark.
• Belhaven would make the most of the opportunity and blast the PK into the back of the net as LeTourneau goalie C.J. Leyva would be unable to make a diving save to put the YellowJackets in a 1-0 hole.
• LETU managed to shake off the goal by the Blazers, pushing the tempo and finding their way into the attacking third of the field and poised to find an equalizer before halftime.
• Following a shot from the Blazers that would be turned away by Leyva, LeTourneau would go on the counterattack and push the ball into the 18-yard box as Eric Smith would knot the game at 1-1 on his third goal of the season.
• Opportunities for both squads would be much more limited at the start of the second half, with just three total shots taken in the first 32 minutes of the second period as neither team would be able to get a prime opportunity at a shot on goal.
• Looking to break the deadlock, the YellowJackets would blitz Belhaven keeper Thomas Blake with a four shots in the final 15 minutes of the second period, with Moises Soto-Barrera nearly pushing through for a game-winning goal before being turned away just before the goal line.
• Having not faced a shot in over 33 minutes of game action, Leyva would see a shot by Belhaven's Tyler White go high over the crossbar in the opening minute of the first overtime session, as the shot would be the lone chance by either team in the first extra period.
• The second overtime would see Belhaven throw everything they had at LeTourneau, putting up three shots on the YellowJackets and forcing a game-saving save from Leyva as possession of the ball would stay in the LETU half of the field for nearly the entire period.
• Having survived the last push from the Blazers, LETU would hear the final whistle without attempting a shot in the second overtime period and come away with their second tie of the season.

Key Stats:

• Limited to just seven shots in the match, LETU would have to withstand 12 shots from Belhaven including six in the first half as Leyva would turn away four of the five shots on goal.
• The Blazers would also hold a slim 4-3 advantage in corner kicks, but were awarded just one in the second half and overtime periods.
• All seven shots for LeTourneau were taken by different players, with six shots coming from starters.

What's Next?
LeTourneau's American Southwest Conference tournament seeding is still to be determined, with next week's matches playing a key role in where the YellowJackets will end up in the eight-team field. LETU will play host to Howard Payne University on Thursday, October 25th at 7:30 p.m. HPU will play host to Sul Ross State on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m prior to next week's match.