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2018 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Opening Round presented by Select Soccer Preview

2018 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Opening Round presented by Select Soccer Preview

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [Broadcast Links | Live Stats | Schedule] Thirty teams begin their road to postseason glory on Saturday in the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship Opening Round presented by Select Soccer. Matches will occur at 15 campus locations with the winners advancing to the the final site tournament, which lasts from Nov. 26-Dec. 1 at OC Great Park Soccer Stadium in Irvine, Calif.

Vanguard (Calif.) will be the 16th team at the final site; the Lions earned the host berth and an opening-round bye.

RELATED: 2018 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Bracket

The NAIA Network – the association’s official video-streaming home – will broadcast all final-site matches live in Irvine, Calif. 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-tournament package is available for $29.95

Fans can maximize their value, however, with an All-Championship Pass for $100. The pass allows fans to watch every NAIA National Championship for the 2018-2019 academic year.

2018 NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship Opening Round presented by Select Soccer Notes

  • Three opening-round hosts enter the 2018 tournament with previous national titles: Hastings (Neb.) and Rio Grande (Ohio) each have two. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) is the most historically successful program in the 2018 tournament; the Blue Raiders are 52-14-6 overall in the NAIA postseason and have nine national titles.
  • William Carey (Miss.) has the most postseason appearances in the tournament without a national title. The Crusaders are making their 12th appearance. It has three third-place finishes. This year, William Carey is the top-seeded team in the tournament.
  • There are seven first-time participants in the 2018 Opening Round: Missouri Baptist, Reinhardt (Ga.), Arizona Christian, Morningside (Iowa), Central Methodist (Mo.), Mid-America Christian (Okla.) and Lawrence Tech (Mich.)
  • Of the first-time participants, Central Methodist is the only one to host an opening round match. The Eagles will welcome Huntington (Ind.) to Fayette, Mo., on Saturday. In addition to being a first-time participant in the opening round and a first-time host, the Eagles also achieved their highest ranking this season at No. 3. They are seeded third in the tournament.
  • Huntington isn’t making its first appearance in the postseason, but it has the longest gap between appearances. The Foresters’ previous postseason berth came in 1975. This season, Huntington pulled off an improbable run in the Crossroads League tournament, winning the title as the sixth seed. Its reward is that opening-round match-up with Central Methodist.
  • Since the opening round was added in 2008, Rio Grande remains the only team to serve as a host each year. The Red Storm – seeded fourth – will host Lawrence Tech.

2018 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Opening Round presented by Select Soccer: Match Times, Locations

  • Match 1: Reinhardt (Ga.) at No. 1 William Carey (Miss.); 3:30 p.m. CT
  • Match 2: No. 16 Georgia Gwinnett at Southeastern (Fla.); 6:30 p.m. CT
  • Match 3: No. 9 Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) at Columbia (Mo.); 3:00 p.m. CT
  • Match 4: LSU-Alexandria at No. 9 Baker (Kan.); 1:00 p.m. CT
  • Match 5: Missouri Baptist at No. 5 Missouri Valley; 1:00 p.m. CT
  • Match 6: Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) at No. 12 Spring Arbor (Mich.); 5:00 p.m. CT
  • Match 7: UC-Merced at No. 13 Southern Oregon; 4:00 p.m. CT
  • Match 8: Lawrence Tech (Mich.) at No. 4 Rio Grande (Ohio); 11:00 a.m. CT
  • Match 9: Morningside (Iowa) at No. 2 Oklahoma Wesleyan; 1:00 p.m. CT
  • Match 10: Arizona Christian at No. 15 Corban (Ore.); 3:00 p.m. CT
  • Match 11: Marymount California at No. 10 Bellevue (Neb.); 5:00 p.m. CT
  • Match 12: Madonna (Mich.) at No. 7 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.); 2:00 p.m. CT
  • Match 13: Rocky Mountain (Mont.) at No. 6 Hastings (Neb.); 4:00 p.m. CT
  • Match 14: No. 11 Vanguard (Calif.) receives the host berth and a bye to the final site
  • Match 15: Mid-America Christian (Okla.) at No. 14 Kansas Wesleyan; 6:30 p.m. CT

Match 16: Huntington (Ind.) at No. 3 Central Methodist (Mo.); 1:00 p.m. CT

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