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News
Cougars Set to Take on No. 1 Lindsey
Wilson at NAIA Nationals
written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director
FRESNO, Calif. (11-30-2008) - The Cougars,
who are 16-3-2 overall and ranked No. 7 in
the final NAIA poll, are making their
first-ever appearance in the NAIA National
Championship. MVNU advanced to the 16-team
final site after posting a 2-0 shutout at
home against Lee (Tenn.) University in the
opening round. (Championship
Bracket)
 The
Cougars have already put together a
memorable season to this point. The team is
4-1-1 against teams ranked in the NAIA Top
25, and MVNU cracked the Top 25 itself for
the first time ever this season. The Cougars
set a new school record for most consecutive
victories with 10 in a row at one point and
will enter Monday’s match having won 11 of
its last 12 contests.
MVNU’s offensive attack is led by senior
forward Adam Worrall, who leads the team
with 22 goals in 21 matches and is among the
NAIA leaders with nine game-winning goals
including both goals in the opening round
win over Lee. Worrall, who was named to the
American Mideast Conference First Team, is
currently fourth in school history with 44
career goals and he also leads the team with
nine assists this year.
Worrall is not alone when it comes to
scoring goals for the Cougars, though, as 14
different MVNU players have found the back
of the net this season and 15 different
players have at least one assist. Sophomore
forward Rockey Cane (7 goals), freshman
forward Chris Allen (6 goals), junior
defender Brady Swanson (6 goals), sophomore
midfielder Cody Snouffer (3 goals), and
senior forward Sheldon Tugman (3 goals) are
all proven scorers and have contributed to
the team’s 56 goals on the year.
The Cougars’ midfield has also been solid in
controlling the action and setting up the
offensive attack. Juniors Scott Spangler (6
assists) and Chris Mast (6 assists) are both
playmakers who are always right in the thick
of the action, while Snouffer (4 assists),
sophomore Jake Reber, sophomore Steve
Armstrong, and freshman Kyle Maxam have all
contributed to the team’s success.
The MVNU defense has once again proved to be
a stalwart as the Cougars have allowed just
15 goals in 21 matches this season while
posting 12 shutouts. The back line of senior
Zach Patterson, Swanson, junior Tyler
Warwick, and sophomore Kemar Jackson have
limited the opposition to just 89 shots on
goal on the season. Meanwhile, junior
goalkeeper Alex Stout has put together an
outstanding season with a 0.66 goals against
average and a school-record 12 shutouts to
extend his school-record career total to 24
shutouts.
"It is humbling to think that there are over
200 other NAIA schools who would love to
still be playing in the NAIA National
Championship,” said MVNU coach Paul Furey,
who has posted a 221-150-28 record in 19
years with the Cougars. "We will cherish
every moment and make the very best of it.
It’s great to have this platform to
represent MVNU, our alumni, our families,
our fans, and our faith in a way that will
make them proud to be a part of Cougar
soccer.”
"I guess you can say in the spirit of
Thanksgiving that in many ways our season
has been like a feast that I am very
thankful for,” Furey continued. "We have had
some tremendous accomplishments. Going to
Fresno to be part of the final 16 teams in
the NAIA is the gravy.”
The Cougars’ opponent on Monday is no
stranger to the NAIA National Championship.
Lindsey Wilson (18-1-1), which is ranked No.
1 in the final NAIA poll and occupied that
spot for the final five weeks of the season,
is making its 16th trip to the event in the
last 17 years. The Blue Raiders have posted
a 35-8-4 all-time mark in the event and have
won seven NAIA national titles in the past
13 years with the most recent coming in
2005.
Lindsey Wilson advanced to the opening round
of the NAIA National Championship by winning
the Mid-South Conference Tournament title.
Then, in the opening round, the Blue Raiders
dismantled King (Tenn.) College 6-0 to move
on to the second round meeting with the
Cougars in Fresno. Lindsey Wilson and MVNU
have two opponents in common in 2008 with
the Blue Raiders defeating Campbellsville
(Ky.) University 4-0 and Lee 1-0. The
Cougars fell 4-2 to Campbellsville in the
second match of the year and downed Lee 2-0.
Lindsey Wilson, which boasts 18
international players among the 20 players
listed on its active playoff roster, is led
by freshman forward Moses Aduny, who was
named the MSC Co-Player of the Year. Five
other Blue Raiders were named to the MSC
First Team. Lindsey Wilson has scored 58
goals and allowed just 10 goals while
posting 12 shutouts.
"Our team has approached each match with
intensity and focus,” said Furey. "Lindsey
Wilson has been the premier team in the NAIA
over the past 10-15 years. They will be a
hand-full. But, if you are going to go to a
national tournament, you might as well play
the best of the best.”
The winner of Monday’s match will advance to
the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
PST where they will face the winner of the
match between No. 11 seed Westmont (Calif.)
College and unseeded Baker (Kan.)
University.
All the tournament action can be seen live
through the internet on pay-per-view by
going to www.watchnaia.com and purchasing
the desired package with options for
single-day or complete tournament coverage.
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