Dec. 4, 2008

FRESNO, Calif. – The Semifinal field is determined in the 2008 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship, hosted by Fresno Pacific (Calif.) University. Bethel (Tenn.), Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio), Oklahoma City and Rio Grande (Ohio) all meet up in two games to be played on Friday, Dec. 5. Game times are slated for 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. PST from Ramirez Field. All games can be viewed live by clicking here and live stats can be viewed here.

Day 2 Recap – Second Round (Dec. 2):

Quarterfinal #4: No. 1 Oklahoma City def. No. 8 Hastings (Neb.) 2-1 (2 OT)

No. 1 seed Oklahoma City University survived another double overtime thriller, this time against No. 8 seed Hastings (Neb.) College and took a 2-1 victory in the fourth Quarterfinal game. The Stars got to the Quarterfinal Round courtesy of a 2-1 double-overtime marathon over host school, Fresno Pacific on Monday (Dec. 1). With tonight’s victory, OCU is earning its first trip ever to the Championship Semifinal.

Mark Nave picked up his second goal of the year, with this one coming in the 35^th minute, to hand Hastings a 1-0 edge. Yannic Thiel assisted on the shot. Oklahoma City’s Brandon Hull headed in the tying marker, which was made possible on a corner kick from Stuart Hilton. That goal was Hull’s second on the year. In the 69^th minute, the score was tied at 1-1.

Both teams could not find the net until the 109^th minute. OCU set up a corner kick, which was taken by John Dill. His cross went into the box and Hastings’ Mark Nave attempted to clear the pass. However, the ball flipped up and behind him and went into the goal for an OCU “own goal.”

Andy Fitzpatrick notched the victory in the net by saving eight Bronco shots.

Hastings ends its season with a 19-4-1 record.

Quarterfinal #3: No. 14 Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) def. No. 11 Westmont (Calif.) 1-0

The third Quarterfinal game went scoreless for 87 minutes but No. 14 seed Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) University claimed a 1-0 win over No. 11 seed Westmont (Calif.) College. Mt. Vernon Nazarene’s Cody Snouffer nailed the game-winner just three minutes into the game. The assist came from Adam Worrall.  Worrall has now played a role in both game-winning goals in his team’s play at the final site. He recorded the game-winning goal in the Second Round win on Monday (Dec. 1).

Westmont had scoring opportunities but could not dent the MVNU defense. Alex Stout and the Cougar defense turned away 13 overall shots and four shots on the net. Stout extended his school record of season shut-outs with his 14^th on the year.

As a team, MVNU broke a school record with its 14^th shut-out on the year, besting the 1998 team’s output.

Westmont ends its season with a 12-7-2 mark in this its 16^th overall Championship appearance and first since 2000. The college community will be remembered for its ability to persevere through a tragic Tea Fire that swept through campus right before the conference championship game in mid-November. The fire destroyed nine buildings, 50 dorm rooms and 15 faculty homes. Three team members had their housing directly affected while head coach Dave Wolf and his family lost their home completely.

Despite all the tragedy, the Warriors managed to pull together seven straight wins entering tonight.

Quarterfinal #2: Bethel (Tenn.) def. Mobile (Ala.) 3-0     

In their second ever National Championship appearance, Bethel (Tenn.) defeated Mobile (Ala.) 3-0. One game after scoring seven goals, Mobile gets shut-out which marks just the third time this year that it did not score a goal (in 22 games).

There was very little offense in the first half as both teams combined for just two shots on goal. The score was tied 0-0 at the half. In the game's 58^th minute, Bethel's Mario Vila Boa took a center pass from Armando Orozco. Vila Boa just got a toe on the ball before the UM goaltender came out of the box. That goal was Vila Boa's first of the Championship and seventh of the season.

The offensive attack came to life thereafter for Bethel as two were scored in the next 21 minutes to put the game out of reach for Mobile. The Wildcats got markers from Orozco in the 74^th minute and Dawyne Smith in the 79^th minute. Orozco's goal was unassisted while Colin Crosbie earned the primary assist on the game's third goal. Orozco now has four points in two games in Fresno.

In the net, Massimo Collu-Marchese halted two Mobile shots on goal.

Mobile, which exits its 12^th Championship with a 20-12 record, wraps up its season with a 13-7-2 record.

Quarterfinal #1: No. 2 Rio Grande (Ohio) def. No. 10 Maine-Fort Kent 4-0

No. 2 seed Rio Grande (Ohio) earned a Semifinal trip after a 4-0 win over No. 10 seed Maine-Fort Kent. Improving to 12-5-1 all-time in Championship play, Rio Grande (18-3-1) advances to its third ever Semifinal game. In their last Semifinal, U of RG defeated Hastings 1-0 and went on to win the 2003 National Championship.

The Red Storm peppered UMFK goalie Giovanni Sinclair all day with 12 shots on goal. Sam Fairhurst opened up the scoring for Rio Grande knocking home a goal in the sixth minute. With the score 1-0 in the second half, Ederson Lopes scored twice, with the second in the 53^rd minute. Lopes now has six points in two games in Fresno - he notched two assists in the Second Round win on Monday.

Jon Brooks was credited with an unassisted goal in the 75^th minute to close out the scoring.

Nate Walzer did not see much action in the net for Rio Grande, but he stopped both shots on goal. He moves to 11-2 on the year and recorded his fourth shutout of the year. The U of RG defense limited UMFK to just five total shots.

The Bengals end their season with a 20-1-2 mark. The four goals was the most UMFK allowed all season - the Bengals had given up just seven goals all season long coming into today.

Quarterfinal Notes:

With its National Championship Semifinal appearance, Mount Vernon Nazarene is making the school’s first ever Semifinal trip in any sport in school history… Oklahoma City owns the most wins (20) of any Semifinal participant… Of the Semifinalists, Rio Grande is the only program to boast a National Championship title with one back in 2003... Only one team, Rio Grande has ever won a Semifinal game… Rio Grande is appearing in its third ever Semifinal, Bethel, Mount Vernon Nazarene and Oklahoma City are all playing in their first Semifinal… Rio Grande and Mt. Vernon Nazarene have never faced each other before in the National Championship… Bethel and Oklahoma City will be meeting for the first time in the National Championship… The Tournament leader through the Quarterfinals is Onesimus Ikungo of Mobile (Ala.) for goals (3), Armando Orozco of Bethel (Tenn.) for assists (2) and Ederson Lopes of Rio Grande and Onesimus Ikungo for points (tied with 6)… There were three shutouts today, which brings the 2008 total to 13 blankings.

On the Docket for Friday, Dec. 5 - Semifinals:

All Times PST | Updated Bracket

5 p.m. – Bethel (Tenn.) vs. No. 1 Oklahoma City
7:30 p.m. – No. 14 Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) vs. No. 2 Rio Grande (Ohio)