Men’s Soccer Finishes Runner-Up in Conference Tourney

ANKENY, Iowa—The Faith Eagles and Manhattan Christian Thunder squared off for a third time this season on Saturday, this time with a conference tournament championship on the line, but the result was the same as the previous two contests as Manhattan handed Faith the loss for a third time.

The Thunder utilized their terrific passing game to score goals at almost-even 15-minute intervals throughout the two halves on a beautiful fall day in Ankeny. The first score came on a penalty kick in the goal box at the 16:59 mark. Manhattan struck again at the 30:44 mark to take a 2-0 lead into halftime. The Eagles had several great opportunities to answer in the first half, but Manhattan goalkeeper Kord Pearson made some spectacular saves.

The second half was controlled by the Thunder as they scored again at the 66-minute mark and a fourth time 20 minutes later. Both coaches were able to get their benches some playing time at the end. Manhattan managed 10 shots on goal, compared to four for Faith.

The Eagles have a big week ahead with regional tournament play. Faith enters as the number one seed in its region, which they are the host of. The Eagles will face the winner of Maranatha Baptist University and Crown College on Friday, November 5, at 2:30 p.m. The game will be played at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex in West Des Moines, Iowa. If the Eagles win that game, they would play in the regional final for a chance to advance to the NCCAA National Tournament in Kissimmee, Florida. The regional championship will be held on Saturday, November 6, at 2:30 p.m., also at the MidAmerican Energy RecPlex. The opponent would be the winner of the game between Moody Bible Institute and North Central University.