BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The fifth-seeded Rams from the University of Mobile upset the top-seeded Senators from the Auburn University-Montgomery 1-0 in the first semifinal match Monday night at the 2002 NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship at Lovers Lane Soccer Complex in Bowling Green, Ky. Having lost to the Senators on two prior occasions this season, 4-2 in the regular season and 2-1 in the regional final, the Rams showed a slightly different formation that in the end “worked like a charm,” according to Mobile Coach Peter Fuller.

“We started Brady Bryant, dropped Jordan Wilson from the first 11, and moved Steven Linpow into the midfield where he never played for us before,” Coach Fuller explained. “We were looking for a particular match-up with Linpow as he picked up number 25 [6-foot-1 sophomore midfielder, Masego Ntshingane, from Gabarone, Botswana] and he did a great job.”

While the Senators out-shot the Rams 12-7, they could not find the back of the net. 

Then a déjà vu in reverse happened. Due to a red card, the Rams played a man down in their 4-2 regular season loss to the Senators. The twist of fate occurred in the 64^th minute as Ntshingane was handed his second yellow for fouling Mobile freshman Carron Williams.

Mobile immediately took advantage of the situation in the 65^th minute with a goal from freshmen mid-fielder Teba McKnight on a Stephen Shirley assist.

“It was a group effort,” Coach Fuller said. “Our low-pressurizing worked like a charm. Possession wise, in terms of keeping the ball, we were better than we really have been all year long. We attacked opportunistically, and created 2 or 3 good chances to score. We really did a really good job.”

With the loss, Auburn ends their season with 20-2-1 record and a third-place finish at the national tournament.  The Rams up their record to 16-4-1 on the year and will have a chance to claim their first national title in their second title-game appearance since 1999.

“The thing is that now, it’s not about being the best team all year; it’s about being the best team over 90 minutes,” Coach Fuller said. “And we’ve got as much a chance of that as anyone else. We’ll be very well organized tomorrow, we’ll be as prepared as we can be – having to play again in 24 hours – and whoever we play, we’ll give them everything they want. In the last ten minutes, if we have the game there for the taking, I’ll feel very good about it.”

The men will play the winner of tonight’s night cap match-up between #6 seed Park College and four-time defending national champions, Lindsey Wilson College. The National Finals will be contested Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. at Lovers Lane Soccer Complex in Bowling Green, Ky.