MISHAWAKA, Ind. – Spring Arbor University officially clinched its first-ever Crossroads League Men's Soccer regular season championship on Wednesday night after picking up a 3-1 win over Bethel College.

Sophomore Jacob Crull scored in the 51st minute to break a 1-1 deadlock, and the Cougars made that lead stand up to secure the No. 1 seed and home field advantage through the upcoming Crossroads League Tournament.

THE BASICS

FINAL SCORE: #21 Spring Arbor 3, Bethel 1

LOCATION: Mishawaka, Ind.

RECORDS: Spring Arbor 14-3-0 (7-1-0 CL), Bethel 10-5-2 (4-3-1 CL)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Last season, Spring Arbor captured its first Crossroads League Tournament crown since 2012 by defeating Bethel in Mishawaka. The Cougars needed to replicate that result Wednesday night to secure their first regular season league championship.
• Spring Arbor got off to the strong start it needed when Morris Kamara found the back of the net in the third minute, finishing a corner kick from Lewis Jones.
• The lead was short-lived as the host Pilots evened the score in the 18th minute.
• Just over five minutes into the second half, Crull gave the Cougars the lead for good.
• Cole Russell put the game away with his third goal of the season in the 77th minute.
• Bethel outshot Spring Arbor 17-14, but the Cougars held a 7-6 edge in corner kicks.
• Isiah Handspike stopped five shots on the evening.
• Janum Sailor was credited with two assists.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

• Spring Arbor boasts a 4-0-1 record against Bethel over the last five meetings with three of those victories coming on the road.
• Kamara scored his team-leading 15th goal of the season. He currently leads the league in that category and ranks 11th nationally.
• The game-winner by Crull was his first of the season and the third of his career.

QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH NATHAN MILLER

• "What an amazing night for the boys. With everything to play for, the opportunity to win the league at Bethel, and the memory of what happened last year on our field - it was a sweet performance."
• "Bethel had a great first half and put some pressure on us although we controlled the tempo of the game. The second half was superb, our midfield was incredible and the finishes by Crully and Cole were simply class. Some fantastic work in the final third, which was sensational."
• "I'm just so proud of them, their constant effort, commitment, and how they sacrifice for each other."
• "We had an amazing year last year but we didn't win the regular season title. That was a big desire of our team and we were determined to do it. This is a great platform to build off of. Our guys will celebrate this, then look to achieve more as a team."

UP NEXT

Spring Arbor will close out the regular season hosting Marian University (5-10-0, 2-6-0 CL) on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.

The Crossroads League Tournament will kickoff on Wednesday, Nov. 1 with the quarterfinals. The tournament semifinals will be played on Saturday, Nov. 4 with the championship match scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 11.

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