KISSIMMEE, Fla. - CIU men's soccer's improbable run to the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) DI Men's National Championship title game culminated with the Rams' first-ever national championship in their ten-year history as an intercollegiate program on Saturday evening. The Rams defeated No. 2 seeded Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) 3-0 in a game in which they led from start to finish. CIU trailed for at least a portion of every match in which they played at this year's national championship tournament except in the title match. 

The win gives CIU much-needed retribution for a squad that lost in the NCCAA semifinals last season. Head men's soccer coach Bill Brindley wins the second NCCAA National Championship of his career but his first at CIU and his first at the DI level. The men's soccer program becomes the third CIU sports program to win an NCCAA National Championship in the last two years. 

"I am extremely proud of our guys and the heart they showed not only in the championship game but all tournament long," said Brindley. "We played from behind the last few matches, which is not ideal, so it was great to see us take command and hold a lead this evening. This is an outstanding accomplishment not only for this year's squad but for our program as a whole. We could not have achieved what we did tonight without the foundation that has been laid for CIU soccer over the last decade." 

CIU started their scoring Saturday evening almost immediately with a goal from Bryan Molina in the 3' minute of the contest. The goal came off a cross from the left wing by Sohya Yamamoto as Molina drilled the shot into the upper half of the net. The Rams were able to hold Roberts scoreless throughout the first frame though not for lack of trying on the part of the Redhawks, as they outshot CIU 6-to-4 in the first 45 minutes of the contest. 

Several shots from Roberts had the CIU faithful holding their collective breath in the second frame as the Redhawks had a shot go off the crossbar and a shot careen off the right post. However, in the 81' minute, Molina would again further solidify CIU's championship hopes, recording a brace with his second goal of the game, again assisted on by Yamamoto to put CIU up 2-0. Then just a few moments later, in the 86' minute Yamamoto would find the back of the net himself on an unassisted goal to put the proverbial nail in the Redhawk's coffin. 

For his heroics, Yamamoto was named the NCCAA DI Men's National Championship Most Valuable Player, while Molina and Benedict Kartheuser were each named to the All-Tournament team. 

With the victory, CIU men's soccer becomes the first program in CIU athletics history to win both their conference tournament title and an NCCAA National Championship title. The Rams won the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) tournament championship back in early November. The Rams finish the season with an overall record of 15-4-5.