The MNU Men's Soccer team is headed to the Round of 16 in the NAIA National Tournament for the 3rd year in a row. In a great match today at Pioneer Field, the Pioneers defeated Bethel University (TN) by a 2-0 score. They will advance to Delray Beach, Florida for the final rounds played December 1-6.
Bethel came into the game on a seven-game win streak, and were 9-1 in their last 10 games. They had outscored their opponents 25-3 over the last 7 games. MNU was coming off of a HAAC semifinal loss 10 days ago and were selected to the tournament through an at-large bid. Over the last few years the Southern States Conference and the Heart of America Conference have been strong conferences in men's soccer. This game promised to be a good one.
The Pioneers came out strong. In just the 6th minute,
Lucas Machado beat his mark and fired home a shot from 22 yards out. The Wildcats are known for their high powered offense and so the early goal was key for MNU. The game plan to limit Bethel's opportunities in the final third was working and the MNU backline of
Aurelien Norest,
Adam Sportsman,
Alvaro Beltran, and
Stephane Philippe limited them to 3 shots on goal in the first half.
Yann Passet made all 3 saves and the Pioneers went into the halftime break with a 1-0 lead.
MNU started the second half well. In the 53rd minute they extended the lead.
Eddie Morales stole a pass in the attacking third and crossed a ball to
Felipe Abreu. Abreu settled his touch, faked a shot that left the goalkeeper off balance and fired into an empty net. With the wind against them, MNU had to withstand Bethel's pressure as they pressed for a goal. The Pioneers created a few chances on the counter attack but couldn't extend the lead. Passet had two big saves to preserve the lead. "I am super proud of the team effort today," said Coach Wardlaw. "Bethel is a very good team and it took everyone doing their part. This is a special group of guys and today was the payoff for a lot of hard work."
For the game Bethel outshot MNU 12-11, with SOG being 5-5. Bethel's goalkeeper was credited with 3 saves. Passet had 5 saves. Bethel ends its season with an 11-6-1 record. MNU moves its record to 13-3-2. Next up for MNU is Marymount College out of California. They defeated Auburn Montgomery University 2-1 in their match today. The game is slated for Tuesday, December 2 at 6:30. Detailed information on the National Tournament can be found
here.
