CATONSVILLE, Md. — UMBC men's soccer defeated the Loyola Greyhounds 3-2 Sunday night in the inaugural Blake Elliott Cup — the first meeting between the two programs since 2015 and the start of a new annual tradition honoring a teenager killed in a car crash.
UMBC defeats Loyola in inaugural Blake Elliott Cup, honoring teen killed in car crash
In September 2025, 16-year-old Blake Elliott was killed in a car crash in Harford County. Blake loved playing sports, including soccer.
Her parents, Rob and Belinda Elliott, created the Blake Elliott 3 Foundation in part to help give kids access to playing athletics.
"She would have a huge smile on her face and be like everybody's there for me?" Rob said.
"We are trying to encourage kindness and love and acceptance. We also are supporting youth and families, specifically youth athletics. The care of animals. Blake loved animals," Belinda said.
The connection between Blake's memory and this rivalry runs deeper than a single game. Rob once played soccer at both schools — at Loyola from 1989 to 1991 and at UMBC in 1993.
After Blake's passing, UMBC men's soccer head coach Anthony Adams reached out to the family about creating something lasting.
"We had the game on the schedule; it kind of popped into my head, but you never know when the right time is to reach out to the family. So we waited a bit. Had a conversation with Rob, and Rob and Belinda were adamant about trying to keep their daughter's memory alive, and that's how the event started from there," Adams said.
Rob said the family is committed to honoring Blake through everything they do.
"We decided very early that we are going to lean in on each other and honor Blake in everything that we do. So this is a representation of that," he said.
The Blake Elliott Cup will now serve as the start of a renewed rivalry between the two schools, who are set to play each other every year for the foreseeable future.
"We're going to be here every year. We're going to show up every year," Rob said.
"As long as they have us," Belinda chuckled.
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