WICHITA, Kan. - [Championship Bracket | Final Site Schedule | Watch Live | Live Stats] The University of Mobile Men's Soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship on Tuesday night, Dec. 3, defeating Oklahoma City University 2-0 in the Round of 16. The Rams claimed the final spot in the quarterfinals and are scheduled to face the No. 3 seed of William Penn (Iowa) at 7:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, Dec. 5 in Wichita, Kan.
Match Summary
The first half of Tuesday's match remained scoreless, with both teams displaying strong defensive efforts. Mobile dominated possession and generated several scoring opportunities, including eight shots through the first 45 minutes, but Oklahoma City goalkeeper Alexis Bertrand made several critical saves to keep the match level, 0-0.
Out of halftime, the Rams finally broke the scoreless tie in the 63rd minute when Joseph McMahon netted the opening goal, assisted by Emilio Cazares. For McMahon, the score is his 17th goal of the season, second most on the team behind Cazares (23). From there, momentum swung firmly in Mobile's favor as Samuel Mutiri doubled the lead with a well-placed goal in the top corner of the net just six minutes later. Mobile's defense, anchored by goalkeeper Ty Turner, stood resolute, limiting Oklahoma City to just one shot on goal throughout the full 90 minutes. Turner picked up one save in net and eventually earned the clean sheet with the 2-0 shutout.
Mobile out-shot the OCU Stars 16-7, with nine shots being on target. Emilio Cazares paced the effort with six shots taken, while both Samuel Mutiri and Jeb Scarbrough followed with two a piece. The Rams took eight corner kicks during the night, while holding Oklahoma City to just two corners during the match. Additionally, the Stars were called for seven yellow cards compared to Mobile's one caution on Tuesday.
11th-year head coach Daniel Whelan gave his reaction following Mobile's hard-fought win, stating that he felt his team should have had a lead at the halftime break. "I felt like we should have been ahead," Whelan said. "We had enough chances to be leading going into halftime. We missed a few and you start to wonder if it's not going to be your day." However, Whelan was quite pleased with the Rams' resilience in the Round of 16 matchup and highlighted the importance of the two-goal night. "Full credit to the guys. They kept going. Sometimes when you score one, you have a tendency just to sit back and protect, but we thought it was important to try and get the second goal."
Quarterfinals Ahead
Mobile's overall record improves to 18-3-1 following Tuesday's win over Oklahoma City, with the Rams set to face William Penn (18-2-3) in the quarterfinals on Thursday. William Penn knocked off 2022 NAIA Men's Soccer National Champion Bethel University (Ind.) earlier in the day to advance to the quarterfinals.
Mobile and William Penn are no strangers to one another, with the two teams meeting just last year for the first time in history. The Statesmen managed a 4-0 upset victory over Mobile as the Rams look for revenge in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The match will be played at the Scheels Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.
Championship Event Info
The 66th Annual NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship features a total of 16 teams and is played from Dec. 2-9 at Scheels Stryker Sports Complex and is hosted by Visit Wichita. NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship will be broadcast for FREE on Urban Edge Network and the newly redesigned NAIA Network. This includes all matches in Wichita, Kan., including the championship match and the awards presentation. Fans can watch their favorite team from anywhere in the world.
FOLLOW THE RAMS
For complete coverage of University of Mobile Athletics, follow the Rams on social media at /MobileRams (Facebook), @UMobileRams (Twitter), and @umobilerams (Instagram), or visit the official home of the University of Mobile Athletic Department at https://umobilerams.com/.
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.
