Southern Miss secured the eighth and final place in the Sun Belt Conference Championship with a 1-0 victory over ULM in its regular-season finale Sunday at Brown Stadium in Monroe, Louisiana.
Alessia Navarro scored the game’s only goal in the eighth minute, finishing a pass from Ava Bynes. Navarro had forced a save in the seventh minute before finding the net for her second goal of the season.
ULM pressed in the first half, but goalkeeper Logan McGruder and the Golden Eagles defense protected the lead. McGruder made three saves before halftime and finished with three for the shutout. Southern Miss limited ULM to one second-half shot and no attempts on goal in the final 45 minutes.
The victory lifted Southern Miss to 7-6-4 overall and 4-4-2 in conference play. The Golden Eagles finished with 14 league points and four conference wins, both program bests since joining the Sun Belt in 2022. Their seven overall victories also mark the program’s most in a season since joining the league.
Southern Miss also earned its first win over ULM as Sun Belt opponents, its first victory in the series since 2018 and its first win at Brown Stadium since 2017. The shutout was the Golden Eagles’ fifth of the season and their third 1-0 road win in conference play.
Southern Miss advances to the Sun Belt Conference Championship at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex in Foley, Alabama. The calendar lists quarterfinal play beginning Monday, Nov. 9, with the Golden Eagles’ opponent and match time to be set with the official bracket. The berth sends Southern Miss to Foley for the first time since 2023 and gives coach Danny Owens’ team a postseason appearance in his first season with the program.
