Nov. 17, 2007

Olathe, Kan. - The third day of the 2007 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship is complete and eight teams remain for the Quarterfinal round to be played on Saturday, Nov. 17. The Championship, hosted by MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) and the Olathe Chamber of Commerce, continues today at 12 p.m. (CST) with four quarterfinal-round games. All games are played at the College Boulevard Activity Center (CBAC) with the Championship final scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. (CST).

DAY 3 SCORES (Friday, Nov. 16):
Game #9: No. 5 Simon Fraser (B.C.) 1, No. 12 Park (Mo.) 0
Game #10: No. 6 Concordia (Calif.) 4, No. 11 Graceland (Iowa) 2
Game #11: No. 10 Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.) 3, No. 7 Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 2
Game #12: No. 8 Fresno Pacific (Calif.) 5, No. 9 Rio Grande (Ohio) 2

DAY 4 NOTES:
• There have no overtime games in the first two rounds (12 games) of Championship play -- that is the first time since 2001.
• Embry-Riddle is the lowest seed in the Quarterfinal round (since the pool was a 20-team field) since 2003.
• With No. 6 Graceland's (Iowa) loss in the second round, there will be no back-to-back champion. Graceland was the 2006 title winner after a penalty-kick winning game over this year's No. 1 seed, Azusa Pacific (Calif.).
• No. 1 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) is looking to become the first No. 1 seed to win the Championship for the first time since 2001.
• Concordia's (Calif.) Jon Fahey notched this year's first hat-trick in the 4-2 win over Graceland yesterday. It was the first hat-trick in Championship play since Joonas Siikala (Northwood) accomplished the feat on Nov. 16, 2006.
• No. 5 Simon Fraser (B.C.) enters its Quarterfinal game on a 12 game winning-streak, including seven straight shut-outs on the season.

DAY 3 RECAP:
Game #9: No. 5 Simon Fraser (B.C.) 1, No. 12 Park (Mo.) 0
OLATHE, Kan. - On a windy morning, No. 5 Simon Fraser (B.C.) used a Lucas Barrett goal in the 80th minute to propel past No. 12 Park (Mo.) in the second round of the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship. Barrett knocked home his 29th goal of the year on a header near the far post. He took a pass from Todd Lucyk from the right wing.

Simon Fraser goalkeeper Thomas Lindley earned the win in net stopping two shots on goal. He extended his school record of consecutive wins in goal to 12 straight.

The victory was the 12th in-a-row this year for The Clan. The shut-out is the seventh straight during the win streak.

Simon Fraser takes on No. 4 Ohio Dominican on Saturday (Nov. 17) at 12 p.m. ODU was a 7-0 winner over No. 13 Maine-Fort Kent on Thursday. Park ends its year with a 13-6 record.

Game #10: No. 6 Concordia (Calif.) 4, No. 11 Graceland (Iowa) 2
OLATHE, Kan. - No. 6 Concordia (Calif.) won its first ever Championship game pulling out a 4-2 win against defending national champion and No. 11 Graceland (Iowa) this afternoon in the NAIA National Championship second round. The Eagles got a hat-trick from sophomore midfielder Jon Fahey in the win.

It was the first hat-trick in Championship play since Joonas Siikala (Northwood) accomplished the feat on Nov. 16, 2006.

Fahey hit the game's first netter in the 39th minute. The Region V Player of the Year, Graceland junior midfielder Kevin Souter, hit the back of the net tying the count at 1-1 in the 44th minute. He added his second marker in the 89th minute to close the score to 4-2.

After intermission, Mike Mirzadeh hit from 30 yards out on a right-footed volley to give Concordia a 2-1 lead, one the Eagles would never relinquish.

Fahey added goals No. 2 and No. 3 in the game less than five minutes apart (82nd and 87th minutes).

Concordia's Jeff Clark, who is the program holder for career goals and points, had two helpers in the game.

Goalkeeper Mike Borst pulled out the win with four saves in the net.

Concordia faces No. 19 Embry-Riddle in the quarterfinal round on Saturday. A defending national champion from 2006, Graceland will conclude its campaign with a 17-2-2 mark.

Game #11: No. 10 Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.) 3, No. 7 Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 2
OLATHE, Kan. - A late come back falls short for No. 7 Southern Nazarene as they fell to No. 10 Auburn-Montgomery, 3-2.  Down by three goals the Crimson Storm scored twice in a span of 21 seconds but it wasn't enough as their unbeaten season comes to an end with its first loss of the year.

Sophomore defender Kari Arsaelsson's header off of a corner kick at the 10 minute mark gave Auburn-Montgomery an early 1-0 lead.  Agust Agustsson and Steinthor Thosteinss both picked up assists on the goal.  Arsaelsson put the Senators up 2-0 in the 25th minute when he found the back of the net from five yards out on a direct kick from Agustsson.

Senior forward Magnus Olafsson gave Auburn-Montgomery a commanding three-goal lead in the 74th minute with his 12th goal of the season. Msveinn Jonsson had the assist.

Southern Nazarene got back into the game with two late goals in the 88th minute.  Crag Robertson put the Crimson Storm on the scoreboard at 87:18 with an unassisted goal.  Sophomore Thierry Gakire cut the deficit to one goal when he took a pass from Eric Ouedraogo and found the net at 88:41.

SNU had an 8-3 advantage on the shots in the second half but the Senators' goalie Nenad Cudic made five saves in the net for Auburn-Montgomery.

The Senators will improve their overall record to 16-4-0 and will advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 17th to face No. 2 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) at 4:30 p.m. Southern Nazarene's unbeaten season comes to an end with its first loss of the year. The Crimson Storm will drop to 18-1-1.

Game #12: No. 8 Fresno Pacific (Calif.) 5, No. 9 Rio Grande (Ohio) 2
OLATHE, Kan. - In the rematch of the 2003 championship game, Fresno Pacific returned the favor with a 5-2 win over Rio Grande in the final second round game.

Junior Pablo Campos gave an early lead for Fresno Pacific with two goals in the first 11 minutes.  His first goal came in the sixth minute on a pass from sophomore Amaury Nunes and the second at 10:06 mark on an assist by freshman Mihailo Jovanovic. Rio Grande cut the deficit in half in the 14th minute when freshman Steven O'Hara took a pass from senior Ryan Baxter and found the back of the net.  The Sunbirds answered in 38th minute on a blast from Nunes from 10 yards out to go back up two goals and took a 3-1 halftime lead.  Campos picked up the assist on the goal.

Fresno Pacific added two insurance goals in the 63rd and 74th minutes. Junior Nehemias Blanco scored his first goal of the season and freshman Valentin Gonzalez added his second of the year.  Sophomores Andres Blanco and Javier Ceballos both picked up assists respectively.

Junior Callum Morris scored the second Rio Grande's goal in the 81st minute on a pass from sophomore Jason Massie.

The Sunbirds goalie Brandon Cave made five saves in the net for the win while Ray Nicaise also stopped five shots for Rio Grande in the loss.

Fresno Pacific will improve its record to 19-2-1 and will advance to the quarterfinals to face the top seed in the tournament, No. 1 Azusa Pacific on Saturday, Nov. 17th at 7 p.m.  The Redmen will drop to 13-5-1 overall record.

DAY 4 SCHEDULE (Saturday, Nov. 17):
• Game #13: No. 4 Ohio Dominican vs. No. 5 Simon Fraser (B.C.), 12 p.m.
• Game #14: No. 6 Concordia (Calif.) vs. No. 19 Embry-Riddle (Fla.), 2:15 p.m.
• Game #15: No. 2 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) vs. No. 10 Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.), 4:30 p.m.
• Game #16: No. 1 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) vs. No. 8 Fresno Pacific (Calif.), 7 p.m.