HAYWARD, Calif.--- The Biola University Men's Soccer Team just made program history as the first men's soccer team to win the PacWest Conference, even as Co-Champions.
Biola's win over Holy Names gave them a share of the PacWest title with Dominican. However, the Eagles head-to-to win over the Penguins combined with Dominican's loss to Point Loma earlier in the day gave Biola the edge and the PacWest's automatic qualifier bid for Regionals.
A historic moment in the Biola Men's Soccer program got even sweeter for the Eagles who had some ironic internal and historical connections to the BU coaching staff.
Last month the Eagles honored the 20th anniversary of the first men's soccer team to ever win a conference title which featured the current men's soccer squad's assistant coach Phil Yovino.
More recently, the last men's soccer team to win a conference Championship was in 2015 when head coach Joey O'Keefe was a team captain.
"These guys have worked so hard all year long to accomplish an undefeated PacWest Conference Championship," exclaimed O'Keefe. "Winning league was the goal we set out on the first day of training camp and this team, especially the seniors, deserve to lift the conference trophy and bring it back to Biola."
The Eagles (8-3-6 overall and 7-0-3 PacWest) knew coming into the match against Holy Names (7-7-3 and 5-5-0) how important it was.
"Our game plan was specifically to be a high pressing team early in the match and try to set the tone with a goal," explained O'Keefe. "We took risk-pushing numbers forward and it paid off."
Biola's mission was executed quite literally with an Eagles' goal in the fourth minute. Jakob Schnitzler found Theo Le Calve who sent in what would be the game-winner in Biola's 1-0 win.
"An early goal set the tone and we knew that if we kept the clean sheet, the conference title and an NCAA tournament bid was ours," stated O'Keefe. "Holy Names put up a great fight and deserve a lot of credit for making it a competitive match all the way down to the last moments."
Biola showed a strong defensive front against the Hawks. JD Gunn, with the help of his defensive line of Izaac Zausch, Haiko Hovak, and Schnitzler, kept HNU scoreless. Gunn made two crucial saves after the Eagles' goal and picked up his seventh shutout of the season.
O'Keefe added, "I can't give enough praise to the senior class who led this team day in and day out."
Biola Men's Soccer Team group picture after becoming Co-Champions of the PacWest Conference.
What's Next?: The Eagles know they have made it to postseason, but will watch the DII NCAA selection show on Monday, Nov. 7 to see who they play and where they will go. The selection show will begin at 3:30 p.m. PT.
Biola could play as early as Thursday, Nov. 10.
"We've been to the NCAA tournament last year and now we're hoping to have a strong showing next week in the opening round," concluded O'Keefe.
