Kissimmee, FL – Three matches were decided by one goal and a goal in the final seconds preserved the lone tie of the day, as #1 Toccoa Falls College, #3 Pensacola Christian College, and #5 Central Christian College of the Bible, all picked up wins, while #2 Alice Lloyd College and #7 Faith Baptist Bible College played to a 2-2 draw on the first day of the 2025 NCCAA DII Men’s Soccer National Championship.
 
Pool A - #1 Toccoa Falls College 3, #8 Southwestern Adventist University 2
 
A pair of goals from Patricio Bennevendo kept #1 Toccoa Falls College ahead of #8 Southwestern Adventist University with a thrilling 3-2 victory.

• Both goalkeepers were locked in at the start, as Christian Torres of SWAU and Brandon Huerta of Toccoa Falls recorded a pair of massive saves to keep the game scoreless through the first 15 minutes of play.
• Israel Pina had the best chance for the Knights in the first half, but his shot in front of the net in the 21^st minute went just wide and the game stayed tied 0-0.
• Pablo Devarez came off the bench for Toccoa Falls and took a long pass from midfield off the hop, firing a laser past the SWAU goalkeeper to put the Screaming Eagles ahead 1-0 in the 35^th minute.
• With under seven minutes to go in the half, the Knights fouled Devarez in the box, allowing Patricio Bennevendo to fire a penalty kick goal to put Toccoa Falls ahead 2-0.
• The Knights didn’t waste any time answering, as a shot by Pina went off the post, but Armando Lara cleaned up the rebound, and at the break, SWAU cut the Toccoa Falls lead in half to 2-1
• Lara wasted no time tying the contest in the second half, as he took a pass from Pina inside the box, and just 27 seconds into the second frame, connected with the back of the net to tie the contest 2-2.
• The lead ricocheted back to the Screaming Eagles, as Bennevendo took it himself inside the box for Toccoa Falls, scoring his second goal of the day in the 62^nd minute to put TFC back on top 3-2.
• SWAU got an open shot with 45 seconds left in the match, but Huerta fell on the ball and Toccoa Falls completed the exciting 3-2 victory.

 
Pool B - #2 Alice Lloyd College 2, #7 Faith Baptist Bible College 2
 
Seventh-seeded Faith Baptist Bible College earned a hard-fought point against #2 Alice Lloyd College, tying ALC with a Zachary Choi goal with just 52 seconds left to finish the game 2-2.

• Faith Baptist Bible found the back of the net first, as a foul inside the box allowed Austin Lundberg to connect on a penalty kick in the ninth minute to put the Eagles from Iowa ahead 1-0 early.
• Alice Lloyd answered with a pair of shots of their own, but Zeke Denger made two saves to keep FBBC ahead halfway through the opening stanza.
• At the end of the first half, Faith Baptist Bible continued to bring the pressure, but Alice Lloyd’s Kalin Schneider kept the score 1-0 at the break.
• Alice Lloyd finally found the net in the second half, as Maddux Camden broke the seal for the Eagles of Pippa Passes, taking a Luis Sarabia pass down the pitch to tie the contest 1-1 in the 62^nd minute.
• Camden gave ALC their first lead of the evening and recorded a brace in the 74^th minute, as Dylan Moore and Jensen Harbaugh teamed up to connect with the Eagle captain to put Alice Lloyd ahead 2-1. 
• For the second game in a row, Faith Baptist Bible tied the contest with under a minute to go, as Zachary Choi connected with the back of the net with 52 seconds remaining to earn a 2-2 draw and a point for the Eagles. FBBC also tied the North Regional Championship match 1-1 with a goal with 37 seconds left before winning the title and trip to Kissimmee on PKs.

Pool A - #5 Central Christian College of the Bible 3, #4 Boyce College 2
 
In their first appearance at the NCCAA DII Men’s Soccer National Championship since 2008, #5 Central Christian College of the Bible scored a trio of second half goals to knock off #4 Boyce College 3-2.

• Noah Lund recorded the first real chance for either side in the 13^th minute that went wide, as both teams began the feeling out process against each other.
• Central Christian College of the Bible saw their first try at goal in the 26^th minute, but Baraka Grodya’s shot went just wide to keep the game scoreless at the half.
• Just eight minutes into the second half, Ben Sowers had a chance to give Boyce the lead, but a fantastic save from Jake Gracey kept the Bulldogs off the board.
• Sean Coulter answered with a great save of his own ten minutes later, corralling a strike from Lucas Carmo in the 64^th minute.
• In the 68^th minute, CCCB earned their first corner kick opportunity, as Richard Freitas placed a perfect ball to Israel Cobain, as the Saints scored the first goal of the contest.
• Noah Lund would not allow the Bulldogs to go down quietly, as he scored his first goal in almost two years on a laser from outside the box to tie the contest 1-1 in the 78^th minute.
• Just 119 seconds later, Gage Walker found himself open in the box and snuck it past the Boyce defense, putting Central Christian College of the Bible ahead 2-1 in the 80^th minute.
• Lucas Carmo added an insurance goal for the Saints in the 88^th minute after a ball deflected out and to the box and he poked it over the head of the keeper to put CCCB out in front 3-1 with just over 3 minutes left
• Boyce answered once again with 53 seconds left, as a pass from Joel Isaac found Uzoma Ohuka to cut the Saints lead down to 3-2. The Bulldogs would not record another shot, and CCCB held on for the win.
• Central Christian College of the Bible’s win is fitting, as it comes 17 years to the day of their last appearance in the NCCAA DII Men’s Soccer National Championship.

 
Pool B - #3 Pensacola Christian College 2, #6 Grace Christian University 1
 
After being down 1-0 with less than 20 minutes remaining, #3 Pensacola Christian College scored two goals in the final 8:21 to pick up a 2-1 win over #6 Grace Christian University.

• Just three minutes in, Isaac VanderMolen had a chance to get Grace Christian on the board, but a strong save from Nathaniel Hixson kept the match scoreless.
• Jacobo Ariza added another chance for the Tigers in the 21^st minute, but Hixson once again made a big save for Pensacola Christian to keep the contest tied.
• PCC had their chance on offense in the 42^nd minute, but a pair of shots from Odanci Ndayisaba were blocked and the two teams headed to the break scoreless.
• The Eagles opened the second half just peppering the box with shots, but a save from Logan Werschem in the 53^rd minute kept PCC off the board.
• The Tigers finally found the back of the net in the 72^nd minute, as Nate Newberry connected with VanderMolen, and Grace Christian took a 1-0 advantage.
• After a handball in the box, Samir Vieria Siqueira equalized the game with a penalty kick in the 82^ndminute. 
• Less than five minutes later, Justin Loveland gave Pensacola Christian the lead with a goal in the 87^thminute to put the Eagles on top 2-1.
• Grace Christian got a corner kick with under three minutes remaining, but could not score and PCC held on for the win.

Pool Play at the 2025 NCCAA DII Men’s Soccer National Championship continues tomorrow, November 18 at 3:30 PM. Box scores and streaming information, along with live stats for every game can be found here. 
 
About the NCCAA
Established in 1968, the National Christian College Athletic Association uses intercollegiate athletics to further the Great Commission and is committed to equipping student-athletes and coaches to make a positive impact for Christ. The NCCAA currently holds 23 national championship events, along with one national invitational for 88 member schools across 28 states and two Canadian provinces. For more information on the NCCAA, visit our website, thenccaa.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram at @thenccaa.