IRVINE, Calif. – For the second time in three years, the Corban University men's soccer team is headed to the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Final Site. In 2018, the Warriors will be looking to pull off an upset of the highly touted and No. 2-overall seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles.
Tournament Bracket
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The 2018 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championships are slated for November 26 – December 1 in Irvine, Calif. Competition will take place at the OC Great Park Soccer Complex, with matches being played at the Championship Soccer Stadium, featuring seating for 2,500 spectators.
Corban and Oklahoma Wesleyan are set to face off on Tuesday, November 27, at 11 a.m. The Warriors are one of three Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) teams competing at the NAIA Final Site, as both Southern Oregon University and Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) also advanced to the final site thanks to winning in the NAIA Opening Round.
Two years ago, the Warriors made their first-ever trip to the NAIA Final Site, and as the No. 15 seed fell to No. 2-seeded Rio Grande, 3-1. In 2018, the Warriors once again come to the NAIA Final Site as the No. 15-seeded squad, this year hoping to make splash and see a different type of result.
The No. 2-seeded Eagles boast a 19-3 overall record and advance to the NAIA Final Site thanks to a 5-2 triumph over Morningside College in the NAIA Opening Round.
Oklahoma Wesleyan boasts a potent offense and ranks No. 2 in the NAIA with 94 total goals on the year and No. 2 overall with 77 assists. Stefan Cvetanovic ranks No. 2 overall in the NAIA with 27 goals, with seven being game-winners. Stefan Lukic ranks No. 2 in total assists with 20 on the year while also having scored 15 goals.
Defensively, Dusan Djordjey is the primary goalkeeper, having allowed 24 goals on the campaign with a 1.21 goals-against-average.
Corban, owning a 15-3-1 overall record, earned this trip to the NAIA Final Site thanks to a thrilling overtime victory over Arizona Christian University on Saturday in the NAIA Opening Round, 3-2. The 2018 season marks Corban's sixth-consecutive trip to the NAIA National Tournament overall, earning a trip to nationals in each of head coach Aaron Lewis's six years at the helm of the Navy and Gold.
Corban's defense proved to be key all season long, recording a 0.81 goals-against-average while ranking No. 7 overall in the NAIA in shutouts with 11 on the campaign. Kohl Hurtado leads the way offensively with 10 goals and three assists for 23 points, while Alex Segovia also tallied 23 points on nine goals and five assists. Levan Zhividze prove to be a menace for opposing teams as well, as he scored seven times while dishing out four assists on the season.
Jordan Salim allowed just 14 goals on the year while making 69 saves, totaling an .831 save percentage. The Warrior defense, led by Wade Coetzee, Alan Cruz Ramirez, Jesse Martin, and Robin Terry also all proved vital in Corban's pursuit of its sixth-straight NAIA National Tournament appearance, shutting down opposing teams' top attackers on a weekly basis.
The winner of the match will advance to the National Quarterfinal match on Wednesday, November 28, taking on the winner of the Bellevue (Neb.) and Madonna (Mich.) match.
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