NAIA TOURNAMENT CENTRAL | PRESS BOOK (MORE INFO)Â | BRACKET
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. --- Biola Men's Soccer kicks off its trip to the 2015 NAIA National Championship by playing the No. 3 team in the country, Missouri Valley College. The two teams meet at 1:00 p.m. (PT) on Monday Nov. 30.
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This second round matchup takes place at the Seacrest Soccer Complex in Delray Beach, Florida at 1:00 p.m. PT on Monday Nov. 30, 2015. This is the first all-time meeting between these two programs.
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Biola earned its spot in the NAIA National Championship Tournament with its 1-0 victory over Vanguard that clinched the 2015 Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament Championship. The Eagles then defeated Corban 3-1 in an Opening Round matchup in Salem, Oregon last Saturday. Missouri Valley earned its berth into the tournament field by winning the Heart of America Conference tournament. The Vikings beat then-No. 3 Baker (Kan.) in the championship match to earn the title. Missouri Valley hosted Mount Mercy in the Opening Round and cruised to a 4-0 victory.
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MATCH FACTS:
Date: Nov. 30, 2015
Time: 1:00 p.m. PT
Location: Seacrest Soccer Complex (Delray Beach, Fla.)
Ticket Prices: All Tournament Pass - $25, Adult Day Pass - $10, Student Day Pass - $5, Children 12 and under - Free
Live Stream: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/naia/Â (Costs $29.95 for tournament pass OR $9.95 per game)
Live Stats: http://www.dakstats.com/Websync/Pages/WebcastPlayByPlay/WebcastPBP.aspx?association=10&sg=MSO&compID=59249&sea=
What's At Stake: A berth to the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Quarterfinals against winner of Oklahoma Wesleyan and Rocky Mountain (Mont.) game.
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ABOUT MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE:
Missouri Valley College is back in the NAIA National Championship Tournament for the sixth season in a row. It is the sixth time the Vikings have appeared in the tournament all-time. They have a 3-4-1 all-time record in tournament play.
The Vikings are the fourth seed in the tournament field (based off MRPI rankings) and rank No. 3 in the most recent NAIA Top-25 Coaches' Poll. Missouri Valley comes into play with an 18-2-1 overall record this season and has won each of its last five outings. The Vikings are 4-0 at in postseason play so far in 2015. Missouri Valley has not experienced a loss since a Sept. 23 2-3 defeat at the hands of Central Methodist. The team's 18 victories is a new single-season best under 13-year head coach Vladimir Simic.
Missouri Valley boasts one of the most potent offenses in the nation, but it's gotten itself this far by keeping the ball out of its own net. The Vikings ar 12th in the NAIA with 10 shutouts and allow exaclty one goal-per-game on average. Missouri Valley's keeper, Christos Kontemiris, is an all-conference player in the Heart of America conference.
The most dangerous player of the Vikings' starting 11 is Raul Beneit. The senior midfielder earned his second-consecutive HAAC Offensive Player of the Year award as he led the conference in goals (13) and assists (9) through the regular season. His goal in MVC's HAAC Championship winning effort and two assists in the Vikings' Opening Round win proves his ability to come up big in pressure-packed moments.
Joining him as a prime offensive threat is Juan Carlos Heras. Heras' performances in the postseason have him now as the team leader in goals (15), and he also finds himself fifth in the nation with six game-winners.Â
Missouri Valley was 8-1 this year against opponents currently ranked inside of the top-25 or receiving votes. The only loss came against No. 2 Oklahoma Wesleyan early in the season. These two teams played no shared opponents this season. In 2014 the Rams were eliminated in this round of play at the NAIA National Championship Tournament with a penalty kick loss at the hands of Northwestern Ohio.
