The Spalding University men's soccer team closed out the 2014 regular season with a 5-1 win at Blackburn. The win guaranteed Spalding a berth in the SLIAC Tournament for the first time in program history as a NCAA Division III member.
 
The Golden Eagles struggled to get going early, but once the first goal was scored, the game opened up and Spalding took control. Abdullahi Abdullahi came off the bench and made an immediate impact by scoring the game's first goal. Abdullahi also assisted on the next two goals giving the Golden Eagles control of the game.
 
In the 26^th minute, the Golden Eagles registered a tally for the first time in the game. Julio De Leon swung in a corner kick that was headed towards goal by Josh Reed. Reed's header was cleared off the line by a Blackburn defender but fell to the foot of Abdullahi who punished the ball into the back of the net.
 
The Golden Eagles' second goal of the game was the product of excellent ball movement and clinical finishing. In the 38^th minute, Austin Lanham came up with the ball near midfield. Lanham carried the ball down the middle of the field before spraying the ball out to his right to a streaking Abdullahi. Abdullahi was able to send the ball across the face of goal into the path of a well-timed run made by Justin Toller. Toller's first time strike sent the ball into the back of the net and increased the score to 2-0.
 
Just one minute later, Abdullahi earned his second assist of the game with a drop pass to Joey Lesher who unleashed a bomb from 25 yards away that kissed the bottom of the crossbar on its way into the goal. The Golden Eagles entered halftime with a 3-0 lead.
 
In the 55^th minute, Lesher duplicated his first half goal with another strike from roughly 25 yards out that again found the back of the net. Abdikadir Hussein was credited with the assist on the goal that increased the margin to 4-0.
 
Jacob McMurry recorded the Golden Eagles' fifth goal of the game in the 59^th minute after he picked up Deron Buehner's free kick inside of the 18-yard box. McMurry made his way around a couple of defenders before finishing with composure.
 
Blackburn scored in the 87^th minute to prevent the Golden Eagles from recording its 9^th shutout of the year, but it was nowhere near enough to overcome the offensive explosion from the Spalding attack.
 
For the game, the Golden Eagles outshot Blackburn 21-5 and held a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks. Logan Spencer and Mike Salamon each made one save in the game to earn the win in goal.
The Spalding University men's soccer team completed the 2014 regular season with a record of 12-5-1, 6-2-1, of which included a record of 5-0-1 over the last six games of the year, solidifying a berth in the SLIAC Tournament. The Golden Eagles finished third in the SLIAC standings and will meet Westminster in a semi-final matchup on Thursday, November 6. Details will be announced regarding kickoff time as soon as it becomes available.