KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Roberts Wesleyan University men's soccer team has advanced to the semifinals of the National Christian College Athletic Association Division I Men's Soccer National Championship for the second straight year.
The sixth-seeded Redhawks (7-7-5) captured Pool A on Wednesday afternoon after playing to a 0-0 draw with top-seeded Campbellsville University of Kentucky at the Austin-Tindall Sports Complex.
Both Roberts and Campbellsville (14-5-3) earned four points in pool play but the Redhawks, who defeated Southwestern Assemblies of God University 3-0 on Tuesday, captured Pool A based on their goal differential.
"We did what we had to do to get to the semifinals and we're excited to be there," said Roberts coach Scott Reber, whose team finished second at the 2022 NCCAA National Championship. "It really was just a true team effort today."
Knowing that it would advance with a tie, Roberts took a defensive posture and placed a fifth defender in the back for the second half on Wednesday. The Tigers generated 11 shots, but only two were on goal and the Redhawks were able to notch their sixth shutout of the season.
Junior Caleb DaSilva made five saves for Roberts and sophomore defender Dwayne Lewis cleared a ball off the line in the second half to keep Campbellsville off of the board.
"Defensively, we are really playing some of our best soccer right now," Reber said. "Caleb is giving us some really solid minutes and to be playing this late in November down here in Florida, I can't thing of a better thing."
The same two teams will meet again in the semifinals at 2:30 p.m. on Friday with Roberts as the No. 2 seed and Campbellsville being the third seed. Top-seeded Westmont College will play No. 4 Central Christian College of Kansas at noon. The winners will play for the NCCAA National Championship at 6 p.m. on Saturday.