DECATUR, Ala. - The 2022 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship has reached the final site in Decatur, Ala. where nine games will be played at the Jack Allen Soccer Complex to crown a new national champion. The 10-team field will play matches starting on Nov. 29, with the championship contest being held Dec. 5.
For the second-straight season, the University of Mobile Men's Soccer team, led by ninth-year head coach Daniel Whelan, will be one of 10 teams to compete in Decatur, Ala., finishing as the runner-up in the national championship match during the 2021 season. The Rams fell 2-0 to Keiser University in the 2021 championship match. Overall, Mobile's appearance in the 64th Annual NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Tournament is the 22nd trip all-time for the Rams, with Mobile capturing their lone NAIA Men's Soccer National Title in 2002.
Mobile's first scheduled match in Decatur comes in the quarterfinals on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7:00 p.m. CT. The Rams earned the No. 3 seed at the final site, and will face the sixth-seeded Vikings of Missouri Valley College, who enter with a 15-4-1 overall record. Mobile and Missouri Valley are the only two teams from this year's field in Decatur to make an appearance at the final site last year. The two teams last met during the 2019 postseason, where Missouri Valley earned a 3-1 upset win over Mobile. In just two all-time meetings, the Rams are winless at 0-2, but will look to snap the small losing skid to the Vikings on Thursday evening.
Statistically on the 2022 season, the Rams, who enter Decatur with a 16-3-1 overall record, are fourth in the nation with 19.6 shots per game and sixth in total shots taken with 393. Mobile has notched 66 goals in 20 matches and have allowed just 21 opposing goals. Lucas Ros leads Mobile with 13 goals scored on the season, while Sebastian Jorgge has scored five goals and managed seven assists. Jose Sanabria leads Mobile with eight assists this season, adding four goals in the process. In the net, Ty Turner enters Decatur with a .660 save percentage, recording 33 saves in 16 starts.
For Missouri Valley, the Vikings have a chance to win two of the last three NAIA Men's Soccer National Titles in 2022. Missouri Valley has scored 48 goals in 20 matches this season, taking just under 14 shots per game. Sam Green lists Missouri Valley offensively with a team-high 17 goals, eight assists, and 76 shots. Cristobal Benitez Delgado paces Missouri Valley's threesome of goalkeepers with 30 saves and a .811 save percentage.
The NAIA Network
The NAIA Network – the association's official video streaming home – will broadcast all eight matches live at the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship final site in Decatur, Ala. with the championship match being aired on ESPN 3. 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 tournament package is available at $34.95. For more information and to pre-register, click here: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/naia/.
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.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
