Story by Chad Waller, Director of Communications & Sports Information
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Bracket | Press Book – PDF) Top-seed Rio Grande (Ohio) and No. 16 Union (Ky.) kick off the 57th annual NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship on Monday in Delray Beach, Fla. The 16-team single-elimination championship runs from Nov. 30 through Dec. 5 with the championship final at 5 p.m. EST on Saturday. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission and Keiser University (Fla.) serve as co-hosts for the second-straight year.
Rio Grande, the qualifier with the most postseason experience and success, takes on a Union program appearing in its first-ever championship. With a 24-11-2 all-time championship record, the RedStorm (19-1-0) are competing in their 15th-straight event. Conversely, Union (17-1-4) won over Lyon (Ark.), 1-0 in overtime, in its first ever playoff contest on Nov. 21 in the NAIA Opening Round.
Campbellsville (Ky.) and Southeastern (Fla.) join Union as postseason newcomers.
Defending national champion Davenport (Mich.) carries a 16-2-2 season mark into a Tuesday contest (11 a.m.) against Campbellsville. The Panthers, who are competing in their third-straight championship and fourth overall, are looking to become the first repeat national titlist since Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) three-peated from 1999-2001. Davenport’s TJ Ifaturoti is the tournament’s leading goal scorer (20) and is tied for No. 8 nationally.
Oklahoma Wesleyan holds the most season wins amongst all programs with a 20-1 record. The Eagles, who own a , 14-match win streak, have not lost since Sept. 22 against John Brown (Ark.). On Monday, Oklahoma Wesleyan matches up with No. 12 Rocky Mountain (Mont.) (16-2-3) at 6:30 p.m.
The Heart of America Athletic Conference leads all leagues with three teams – Baker (Kan.), MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) and Missouri Valley. The American Midwest Conference and Golden State Athletic Conference were the only other conferences that boast a pair of teams.
The following teams are repeat qualifiers from the 2014 final site event in Delray Beach: Bellevue (Neb.), Davenport, MidAmerica Nazarene, Missouri Valley, Rio Grande and Vanguard (Calif.).
Second round play occurs Monday and Tuesday with four matches each day. Wednesday sees four quarterfinal contests, followed by semifinals on Friday and the national champion crowned Saturday at the Seacrest Soccer Complex.
The NAIA Network – the association’s official video streaming home – will broadcast all 15 matches live at the 2015 NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship final site in Delray Beach, Fla. The video platform, powered by Stretch Internet, allows users access to live video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-championship package is available at $29.95. For more information and the pre-register, click here.