Bruins head to OKC, will face Northwestern in Opening Round

NAIA Release
NAIA Opening Round Schedule

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Monday the 40 qualifiers for the 2023 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship First & Second Round presented by Select Sport America.

Following Bellevue's thrilling penalty kick shootout triumph over Florida National on Saturday, the Bruins secured their 10^th bid to the National Tournament. The appearance is BU's fourth-consecutive and fifth under head coach Mark Heath-Preston.

The Bruins will be the No. 2 seed in the Oklahoma City Bracket where they will face third-seeded Northwestern College (15-4-2) on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. The winner of the game will advance to Saturday's second round against host and top-seeded Mid-America Christian University (17-0-3) with a trip to the final site on the line. Kick-off for that game is also set for 6 p.m.

Bellevue and MACU met in last year's Opening Round with the Evangels winning 2-1 on a controversial penalty kick with just 23 seconds left in overtime.

Earlier this season, BU faced both NWC and Mid-America Christian. The Bruins took a 2-1 win over the Red Raiders back on Sept. 9, overcoming an early 1-0 deficit. Against MACU on Sept. 16, BU suffered a 2-0 setback on the road.

The Bruins are 7-4 all-time in Opening Round matches across nine previous appearances, advancing to the NAIA National Tournament Final Site five times previously; 2009, 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2020.

Following a slow start to the season, BU (12-5-3) picked up steam down the stretch as they posted a 10-2-1 record over their final 13 games and are unbeaten in their last eight.

This season, Bellevue is averaged a shade under 2.5 goals per game and have been buoyed by a staunch defense, allowing just a 0.79 goals against average and posting 11 shutouts to date. The defense has been even more stifling of late, allowing just two goals over their last eight games.

The 2023 NAIA National Tournament Final Site will be played at Scheels Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kan. from Nov. 27-Dec. 4.

Bellevue enters the National Tournament as battle-tested as any team in the field having squared off against five fellow participants (Briar Cliff, Northwestern, Mid-America Christian, Columbia, Florida National), going 1-3-1 in such games.

This year's Opening Round field consists of 27 automatic qualifiers and 13 at-large selections. Automatic berths were given to teams that either won their respective conference tournament title, regular-season championship, or finished runner-up at the conference tournament or during the regular-season as determined by each conference qualification play. The at-large bids were determined by the NAIA Men's Soccer National Selection Committee. The committee consists of one representative from each geographical area, a representative from the National Administrative Council, the president of the NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Association, and three at-large members. The committee evaluated teams throughout the year on various criteria.

The NAIA Network – the association's official video streaming home – will broadcast all 15 matches live at the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship final site in Wichita, Kan. The video platform, powered by Stretch Internet, allows users access to live video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-championship tournament package is available for $34.95. For more information and to pre-register, click HERE.