MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The University of Mobile Men's Soccer team, who currently ranks No. 4 in the NAIA and earned the No. 1 seed of the SSAC Men's Soccer Championship Tournament, battled Faulkner University in the semifinals of the conference tournament on Wednesday evening, Nov. 11. The Rams earned a bye in the opening round and returned to the field on Wednesday for the first time since Oct. 28. Mobile defeated William Carey 1-0 to claim the SSAC Men's Soccer Regular Season Championship in the regular season finale on Oct. 28.
On Wednesday in Montgomery, Ala., the Rams defeated Faulkner 1-0 to advance to the championship match on Friday, Nov. 12. Entering the match against the Eagles of Faulkner, Mobile was highly-favored, but Faulkner managed to keep the No. 4 Rams off the scoreboard for the first 63 minutes of the match. Mobile finally scored the first and only goal of the match in the 64th minute.
The lone goal came in exciting fashion when Mobile's Rodrigo Paredes found the back of the net with a bicycle kick on a loose ball from a corner kick. Paredes' bicycle kick earn national recognition as it was tabbed as the No. 3 top play on ESPN's SportsCenter Top 10 Plays later that evening. For Paredes, his goal in the semifinal match against Faulkner gives him six goals on the year in his first season with the Rams. He was named SSAC Men's Soccer Newcomer of the Year earlier in the week.
A video of Paredes' bicycle kick at No. 3 of the SportsCenter Top 10 plays of November 10, 2021 can be found below:Â
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Despite the match being close on the scoreboard, the Rams managed to out-shoot the Eagles 25-2 and held a 14-1 edge in corner kicks. However, out of Mobile's 25 shots taken, only five shots were on frame. The Eagles' best chance came in the final seconds when a lone corner kick led to a header just over the cross bar.Â
With the win over Faulkner, Mobile is now scheduled to face William Carey University in the SSAC Men's Soccer Championship match. In the final NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll, Mobile ranks No. 4 and the Crusaders rank No. 12.Â
The championship final will be played at the Emory Folmar YMCA Complex in Montgomery, Ala. and is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT.Â
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About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
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