Sheldon Tugman, Zach Patterson, and Adam Worrall have helped the MVNU men’s soccer program post a 43-23-9 record over the past four years for a .633 winning percentage. The Cougars also captured the National Christian College Athletic Association East Region title in 2007 and finished third at the NCCAA National Tournament.

Tugman (left), a forward from Old Harbour, Jamaica, has played in 54 matches during his four years with the Cougars with 11 starts. The former Clarendon College High School product has registered seven career goals and two career assists for 16 total points. Three of Tugman’s seven career goals have been game-winners as he has come up big in critical situations. This season, Tugman has tallied one goal and one assist while playing in nine matches off the bench.

"Sheldon’s four-year experience at MVNU has all the makings for a great Hollywood movie,” said MVNU coach Paul Furey. "It has all the drama and in the end the good guy wins. Sheldon is one of those good guys. I have always liked him. He has that contagious, distinct laugh that is always followed by him nodding his head, smiling, and saying ‘yeah’. The road has not always been smooth and easy, but I admire Sheldon’s perseverance and determination to see things through to the end. On the field, he is a skilled, crafty attacker with a lethal shot and plenty of self-confidence. He has always been one of our most technical players.”

"As you come to know Sheldon like I have, you discover that he has a good heart and has shown to be humble and really a team player,” Furey added. "He has developed, matured spiritually, and has become a man with many outstanding qualities. He has had a rough year with injuries along with new personal responsibilities and challenges, yet I see him really making something special of his life ahead. I know his faith is deeply-rooted and I believe it will be his guiding light on the road ahead.”

Patterson (right), a defender from Dayton, Ohio, has played in 62 matches during his four-year career at MVNU with 52 starts. The former Dayton Christian High School standout has helped anchor the back line that has posted 31 shutouts during that span - a rate of one shutout every other match. He has scored two career goals and registered three assists including two assists this season as he is one of two players to have played every second of every match this year.

Patterson has received several honors in his career including being named the Most Valuable Defensive Player of the First-Knox Cougar Invitational this year. As a junior, he was named to the AMC South Division Second Team, the NCCAA East Region Team, and the NCCAA All-American First Team. He was also the team’s Most Valuable Player and was an NAIA and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete.

"What a treat it has been to have Zach in our program the past four years,” said Furey. "He makes me feel like a recruiting genius when in fact we were probably just lucky to get him. I did not actively recruit him, but when I saw him play I thought to myself that he had a lot of potential. His college career had somewhat humble beginnings. He played very little as a freshman but returned his sophomore year and stepped into the starting lineup. Since then, he has been a force. I told him in the spring of his sophomore year that I thought he could become an All-American and I was happy to see him receive that honor as a junior.”

"Zach is a prototypical defender,” Furey continued. "He has speed, strength, athleticism, and the technical skills and ability to read the game and react quickly. He is also a competitor - a fierce competitor. You want Zach on your team whether it’s soccer, cornhole, or checkers. But what is really special about Zach is seeing the man he has become and the leadership qualities that he now demonstrates. Just as he has developed into a tremendous player, it has been a thrill to see him take on the challenge of being a model player for his teammates and a student-athlete who embodies what our Christian university is all about.”

Worrall (left), a forward from Blacklick, Ohio, has played in 64 matches during his four years with the Cougars with 59 starts. The former Gahanna Lincoln High School star is currently tied for fourth place in school history with 38 career goals and ranks seventh with 92 career points to go along with 16 assists. This season, Worrall has started all 16 matches and has posted career highs with 16 goals and seven assists - both tops on the team.

Worrall has received numerous honors during his illustrious career. He is a four-time selection to the First-Knox Cougar Invitational All-Tournament Team including being the Most Valuable Offensive Player this season. He was an AMC South Division Honorable Mention pick and the Cougar Sports Associates’ Freshman of the Year in 2005. As a sophomore in 2006, he was named to the AMC South Division Second Team and selected as MVNU’s Most Valuable Player. Then, despite playing in just 12 matches due to injury during his junior season, he earned NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention, NCCAA Honorable Mention All-American, and NCCAA All-National Tournament Team accolades. This season, Worrall has already been named the AMC Offensive Player of the Week twice and has been the NAIA and NCCAA National Player of the Week once.

"Any team that is successful or hopes to be successful must have a player like Adam,” said Furey. "He is a winner and a pure goal scorer who scores big goals - game-winning goals. He will take the match into his own hands, elevate his game to the next level, and appear unstoppable. He can score with either foot or his head and is deceptively fast. He has attracted a lot of attention from the best defenders yet he still has averaged a goal a match this year. He will finish his career as one of our most prolific goal scorers and one of the best players in our program.”

"I would think Adam would be a legitimate candidate for our conference Player of the Year award and even potentially NAIA All-American,” Furey added. "But as good as Adam is, you would not know it from talking to him. He is one of the nicest, most humble guys you will meet. His teammates love him and he is a great friend. He has a great laugh and sense of humor. He is a young man who would make any parent proud just as I know his parents are proud of him.”

"Adam is always polite and always respectful,” Furey continued. "He is a pleasure to know and we are not only a better team because of him, but better people also. We have seen Adam in good times and in some pretty tough times and he has stayed the course. On the field, he has been a consistent force for us especially when we needed someone to step up. The same can be said off the field as he has been consistent even through tough times, which speaks volumes to a man’s character. I believe the same consistency will carry through Adam’s life in regards to his faith and integrity as well.”

Heading into the match against Daemen on Saturday, the Cougars (11-3-2, 6-1-2 AMC) know that they can clinch a berth in the AMC Tournament with a victory. They are still mathematically in the running for a share of the conference regular-season title, but more realistically have a shot to finish second in the standings and earn a first round bye and then a home match in the semifinals if they win their two remaining matches and the University of Rio Grande loses to or ties either Notre Dame College or Cedarville University in their final two matches.