The Oglethorpe men's soccer team held onto first place in the SAA Friday night with a 0-0 tie against Birmingham-Southern in Birmingham, Alabama. The result moved the Stormy Petrels to 4-4-3 on the season overall and 4-0-1 in SAA play, keeping them undefeated in conference play and giving them 13 points to 12 points for second-place Millsaps. The two teams will play Sunday in Jackson, Mississippi, and the Petrels will have the chance to clinch their second consecutive SAA regular season crown with a win.

The Petrels held a significant shot advantage over the Panthers, especially in the second half. The visitors outmarked the home side 4-3 in the first, including 3-0 on goal. The Petrels doubled up Birmingham-Southern in the second, though, outshooting them 12-6 overall and 5-2 on goal. The two sides traded opportunities in overtime, 3-3 overall and 2-2 on goal. For the game, Oglethorpe outshot the Panthers 19-12 overall and 10-4 in shots on target, while holding a significant possession advantage, as well.

Junior goalkeeper Luke Whelan made four saves on the evening en route to his third shutout of the season, each save crucial with the two teams locked in a scoreless tie.  Birmingham-Southern goalkeeper Galen Curry kept his team in the game despite the Oglethorpe onslaught in the second half, making 10 saves of his own.

Sophomore midfielder Topher Marshall fired six shots and put four on target for the Petrels. Freshman forward Gabe Alvarez fired four shots and put two on target while fellow freshman forward Hudson Fennell shot three times and also put two on target.

The Petrels took six corner kicks to the Panthers' three over the course of the game. Meanwhile, Birmingham-Southern committed 15 fouls to Oglethorpe's six. 

"At the end of the day, this is a good result for us," said Oglethorpe head coach Jon Akin. "It puts us in position to clinch our second straight SAA regular season championship on Sunday. I thought we played some very good attacking soccer tonight, especially in the second half. We'd have liked to have found a winner with our big possession and shot advantages, but Birmingham-Southern's goalkeeper had a great night, too, making some crucial saves. We'll tip our hat to him and head into Sunday's game with a chance to clinch the title."

Sunday's showdown at second-place Millsaps is set for approximately 3:30 p.m. Eastern time in Jackson. A win would clinch the title, but another tie would allow the Petrels to maintain their 1-point lead headed into their final SAA regular season game at Berry on Oct. 22.