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In just a matter of hours the Sunbirds will begin their season long quest of a NCCAA National Title. The Sunbirds are the top seed in a deep field of talented programs from all levels of competition.
The Field
#1 Fresno Pacific
Location: Fresno, Calif.
Affiliation: NCAA Division II (Year 2 Candidacy)
Conference: Pacific West
Nickname: Sunbirds
Colors: Navy Blue and Orange
2012 Record: 16-4
The Sunbirds are the hottest team in the tournament this year. After a 2-3 start to the season Fresno Pacific proceeded to win 14 of their remaining 15 matches and dominated nearly every team along the way. Winners of their last 12 matches the Sunbirds have found a groove on both sides of the ball. A midseason goalie switch coupled with the NCCAA's second-most potent offense has given FPU a recipe for success no matter whom they play.
Senior forward Paul Islas is the catalyst on offense for a team that has racked in an incredible 76 goals this season and has scored five or more goals six times this season. Islas is just one piece to an offensive puzzle that few teams have managed to solve this season. Freshman sensation Alvaro Nogales, junior Gustavo Silva and fellow seniors Rodrigo Vianna and Fabricio Nazare are all capable from striking virtually anywhere on the field. Those five players have accounted for 72-percent of the scoring this season for the Sunbirds.
Defensively Luke Tyler and 3rd team NCCAA West All-Region defender Ivan Mirkovic anchor the center of one of the stingiest defenses in the tournament. After allowing 15 goals in their first eight matches the Sunbirds have given up a total of seven in their final 12 and have recorded six shutouts in that span.
The sudden emergence of junior goalkeeper Fabian Rangel has a lot to do with that. Rangel has made his presence felt in the net with spectacular saves.
With dangerous players on either side of the ball FPU is definitely the team to beat in Florida.
#2 California Baptist
Location: Riverside, Calif.
Affiliation: NCAA Division II (Year 3 Candidacy)
Conference: Pacific West
Nickname: Lancers
Colors: Navy Blue and Gold
2012 Record: 13-5-2
Fresno Pacific will see mostly new faces in the eight team field with one exception; the number two seed California Baptist.
The Lancers, despite losing 3-1 to the Sunbirds in the NCCAA West Region Finals, earned the lone at large berth in the tournament after posting a 13-5-2 record in their second season in the NCCAA.
The defending NCCAA national champions are led by PacWest Goalkeeper of the Year Joey Pacheco who sports a .95 goals against average and was also named the NCCAA West Region Goalkeeper of the year. Defense is the trademark of CBU who have allowed multiple goals just four times this season, twice to the Sunbirds.
Fresno Pacific is 1-1 this season against California Baptist falling to the Lancers in a regular season 4-2 loss after being forced down to nine players early in the second half.
#3 Union University
Location: Jackson, Tenn.
Affiliation: NCAA Division II (Year 2 Candidacy)
Conference: Gulf South Conference
Nickname: Bulldogs
Colors: Red and White
2012 Record: 11-3-4
The Bulldogs come into the National Tournament winners of their last seven matches including an 8-0 thumping of Tennessee Temple in the NCCAA South Region Semi-Finals.
UU is led by senior forward Guilherme Reis who comes into the tournament ranked 12th in the NCCAA in points with 32 on the season. He leads a talented offensive squad that has scored 46 goals on the season, which ranks them 14th in the NCCAA.
The Sunbirds have never played Union and would not see them until the NCCAA Title Match.
#4 Palm Beach Atlantic
Location: West Palm Beach, Fla.
Affiliation: NCAA Division II
Conference: Independent
Nickname: Sailfish
Colors: Navy Blue and White
2012 Record: 15-3-1
The Sailfish may be the most under-seeded team in the tournament after having one of the best statistical seasons offensively of any team in the field. Their 62 goals this season puts them in the top-10 of the NCCAA in points scored and 13 goals behind the NCCAA leader Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Junior forward from Scotland Kenny Hogg leads the way for PBA. Hogg tallied a ridiculous 28 goals this season to go along with three assists. The next goal scorer for the Sailfish has just eight on the season so as Hogg goes, so goes Palm Beach Atlantic.
Fresno Pacific has never played Palm Beach Atlantic and would see them in the semi-finals should they win their opening round match.
#5 Bethel College
Location: Mishawaka, Ind.
Affiliation: NAIA
Conference: Crossroads League
Nickname: Pilots
Colors: Blue and White
2012 Record: 8-6-4
The fifth seeded Pilots are looking to play much differently in the National Tournament then they did in their final seven matches of the regular season. BC managed just two wins in those seven matches going 2-4-1 over that stretch.
The Pilots are the second-lowest scoring team in the tournament with 80 points on the season, but Bethel College boasts one of the best defenses in the tournament ranking third, behind California Baptist and Palm Beach Atlantic, in goals allowed at exactly one per contest. Senior Goalkeeper Cody Troyer is a big reason for the success of this defensive unit with 66 saves, the fifth most by any goalkeeper in the NCCAA this season.
FPU has never faced Bethel College.
#6 Grace College
Location: Winona Lake, Ind.
Affiliation: NAIA
Conference: Crossroads League
Nickname: Lancers
Colors: Red and Black
2012 Record: 13-5-2
The Lancers are a surprise team to the field of eight after knocking off the #1 seed in the region Cedarville 1-0 in Cedarville, Ohio.
Grace College's offense is led by a pair of talented young strikers who have each recorded over 20 points this season for the Lancers. Junior Shane Barthuly and sophomore Austin Altimus have each recorded ten goals, the only two Lancers to score double-digit goals. Barthuly is also the team's primary facilitator recording eight assists to lead the team.
With a big upset win on the road the Lancers will be no strangers to playing against the odds in Florida.
Fresno Pacific has never played Grace College.
#7 Roberts Wesleyan College
Location: Rochester, N.Y.
Affiliation: NCAA Division II (Year 2 Candidacy)
Conference: East Coast Conference
Nickname: Redhawks
Colors: Red and Black
2012 Record: 10-8-1
After a rough start to the season the Redhawks have come on strong in the second half and are in by virtue of their 2-0 win over Geneva College in the region finals.
Following their 3-7 start the Redhawks reeled off seven wins in nine matches to earn a spot in Florida.
RWC comes to the tournament with a defense that has demonstrated incredible improvement as the season has progressed. During their 3-7 start the Redhawks allowed 16 goals in 10 matches; since that time in their last nine matches RWC has allowed just 10 goals.
Offensively Roberts Wesleyan turns to Michael Cunningham who leads the team in goals with nine and is second on the team in assists with five.
The Sunbirds have never faced Roberts Wesleyan.
#8 McMurry University
Location: Abilene, Texas
Affiliation: NCAA Division II (Year 2 Candidacy)
Conference: Heartland Conference
Nickname: Warhawks
Colors: Maroon and Black
2012 Record: 10-11
The Warhawks are the only team in the field under .500 and have made it to the tournament by virtue of a 3-2 win over Central Christian in the South Central Region Final.
McMurry started the season 2-8 and looked to be playing mostly for pride before the Warhawks went on a tear wining eight of their next 11 matches to finish the season at 10-11. All of the wins for McMurry with one exception, a 5-2 win over UT Permian Basin, were decided by the minimum difference of one goal.
MCM is lead by junior midfielder James Ness who leads the field's lowest scoring team with six goals on the season.
Goalkeeper Neil O'Sullivan has arguably one of the more misleading stat lines of any player in Florida. O'Sullivan surrenders a 1.44 goals against average to opponents but leads the NCCAA in saves this season with 88 and has an above average save percentage of .765.
While the Warhawks are one of the statistically weakest teams in the field there is something to be said for winning so many close games this season.
Fresno Pacific has never played McMurry University.
The Road to the Finals
Opening Round
Fresno Pacific vs. McMurry University
First up for the Sunbirds is a matchup with #8 McMurry. Despite the Warhawks unimpressive record this team is still dangerous, especially with O'Sullivan in goal.
It is going to come down whether or not the Sunbirds can continue their torrid offensive pace in which they have scored multiple goals in every game, many times three or more, since a 4-0 loss to the #8 team in Division II, Grand Canyon, on September 15.
There is no reason to think that Fresno Pacific is going to slow down on the opposite coast and with the backline of the Sunbirds teams are always in for a challenge to get goals.
Ever since a goalkeeper switch after a 3-2 loss to Hawaii Pacific the Sunbirds have allowed multiple goals just once.
New goalkeeper Rangel has been on fire making multiple highlight-reel saves and comes into the tournament with a .67 goals against average, one of the best in the NCCAA.
Semi-Finals
The Sunbirds could have one of the toughest draws in the semi-finals despite being the tournament's top seed. Should Fresno Pacific win against McMurry they would likely draw Palm Beach Atlantic, one of the highest scoring teams in the field.
Hogg is a player that will have to be marked at all times no matter where he is. His ability to finish is perhaps matched only by the player he would be opposite in senior forward Paul Islas.
If the Sailfish should fall FPU will meet Grace College. The Lancers are riding high after an upset win over their region's #1 seed Cedarville that earned them a spot in the finals.
Grace College will be tough defensively but it is hard to imagine the Lancers being able to compete against an offense like the Sunbirds or for that matter Palm Beach Atlantic in their opening round match.
Finals
Assuming that seeds win out FPU will face California Baptist for the third time this season.
The story is well known, the two have split the first two appearances of the season each winning one with the Sunbirds winning the West Region Final 3-1.
The Sunbirds have proven to be the only team this season to be able to solve the riddle that is the vaunted Lancer defense. If it were to fall to these two, nothing less than an intense tiebreaker is to be expected.
The next likeliest candidate for a finals date would be Union University. The Bulldogs have a good combination of a potent offense as well as a stingy defense that poses a lot of problems for opponents, especially in the second half of the season in which they have given up multiple goals just once in a losing effort.
Remember you can stay up to date with all of the latest NCCAA Tournament action at fpuathletics.com and keep up with the games on twitter at @fpusunbirds.
