LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- For a second straight day it was a strong second half effort that propelled the Covenant men's soccer team to victory.

The Scots erased a 1-0 halftime deficit and scored three times, including Carl Simakoff's eventual game-winner in the 83rd minute, to defeat Millsaps 3-1 in the finale of the David Taaffe Invitational on Saturday afternoon at Scotland Yard.

Covenant (2-0) has scored eight second half goals this season and is 2-0 to start a season for the first time since 2007.

Millsaps (0-2) got on the board early in the first half. Gabriel Ryce's cross into the 18-yard box found an open Luca Kistner who put the ball away past Scots keeper Paul Lemay to put the visiting Majors up 1-0 in the third minute.

Despite trailing, Covenant would out-shoot Millsaps 7-5 in the opening period but were unable to convert and trailed by a goal at the break.

In the second half, the Scots ratcheted up the intensity and started to convert their opportunities. In the 53rd minute, Covenant's Mercer Stout was shoved in the back within the box resulting in penalty kick chance. Jesse Riggs stepped up and converted the kick, his second such chance of the season, to even the ledger at 1-1.

In the 83rd minute, Christopher Kitchen's long ball found the feet of Simakoff and he worked behind the Millsaps defense and found the back of the net past Majors keeper Alfie Miller for the score. The goal was Simakoff's first of the season.

Jake Major added an insurance goal in the 89th minute as he worked through the Millsaps defense and slotted the ball past a diving Miller and into the net to make it 3-1. The score was Major's second of the year.

Covenant outshot Millsaps 16-9 on the afternoon. Lemay made three saves for Covenant to notch the win. Miller tallied five saves.

Josh Brower led all players with his four shot attempts.

UP NEXT

Covenant will travel to Sewanee on Tuesday. Match time is set for 8 p.m. EDT.

CONNECT WITH THE SCOTS

Be sure to follow the Scots all season long on athletics.covenant.edu and on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for up-to-date scores, news and other information. To receive text alerts with score updates or e-newsletters, click here