MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - The Yotes men's soccer team is set to return to the NAIA Championships for the first time in 20 years, as they are set for their first round game tomorrow against Menlo.
The winner will go on to face host St. Thomas. The Yotes will go into Thursday's matchup with an overall record of 12-3-4. After entering the CCC Tournament as the No. 3 seed, the Yotes were able to roll past Evergreen State in the first round before avenging their regular season loss to Warner Pacific to make it to the title game, before defeating Southern Oregon for the second time this season to win the CCC Tournament championship.
Sophomore
Jorge Fernandez has had a breakout year for the Yotes, leading the team in goals by a wide margin with 13. He also leads the team in points with 28. Fernandez, along with
Tom Baynard-Smith and
Emil Powles, were named to the All-CCC First Team, while
Grant Embree earned Second Team honors. Embree has started all 18 games he has played in, and has recorded four goals. None of his goals were as impactful as his game winner against SOU in the regular season which handed the Raiders their first loss of conference play.
Out of the 47 goals this season, the team has had 11 different goal scorers. Their opponent, the Menlo Oaks, enter the game with 36 goals for, and only nine goals against. Menlo will enter the game with a record of 9-1-5, having made it to the GSAC Semifinals before losing to The Master's by a score of 2-1.
The Yotes and Oaks have had a couple similar opponents, with Menlo also facing Jessup twice, Corban, Simpson, Southern Oregon, and Oregon Tech, going 4-0-2 in those games. Against those same opponents, the Yotes would go 4-1-1, with a loss to Jessup and a tie with Simpson.
"I'm still trying to find words to describe all of the feelings I have had over the past two weeks," said senior
Joao Bastos. "Playing a nationals match with a team that hasn't gone in 20 years is probably every senior's dream. It was a three year build up for me and I couldn't be happier and more grateful to go out like this. A conference title and a nationals appearance in Florida with a great group of teammates."
The game is set to begin at 4 p.m. EST / 2 p.m. MT in Miami Gardens on the campus of St. Thomas.
