Fire Falls On Last Day of National Tournament
(11-17-08)

KISSIMMEE, Fla.--The Southeastern University men's soccer team fell in a third place consolation game to No. 5 seed Philadelphia Biblical University, 3-2, in overtime Thursday afternoon, ending its season in disappointment.

It was the second time in the NCCAA II National Tournament that Southeastern had to go to overtime.

After the first half ended with the Fire down 2-1, senior forward Kirk Carey scored early in the second half to tie the game.

After Carey's goal, both teams played an even second half, with Philadelphia Biblical barely outshooting Southeastern, 9-8.

Then, in overtime, Philadelphia Biblical's Jeremy Dunham scored with just 3:16 remaining to give the Crimson Eagles the victory. It was the Crimson Eagles' second consecutive season finishing third nationally, and fourth straight year finishing in the nation's top five.

The Crimson Eagles' Justin Hays scored two goals in the first half, while Southeastern's first goal of the game was an own goal.

The Fire did get some national recognition after the tournament as four Southeastern players were named NCCAA All-Americans. Ryan Rogers, Bart Sheldrake, and Andrew Prevost were all named First Team All-Americans, while Matt LoPresti was named a Second Team All-American.

Southeastern finishes the season ranked fourth in the nation with a 13-5-3 overall record. Southeastern has finished in the top four nationally the past three seasons.

Fire Advances To NCCAA II Final Four
(11-14-08)

KISSIMMEE, Fla.--The Southeastern University men's soccer team advanced to the NCCAA II National Semi-Finals with a 2-0 victory over No. 7 seed Central Christian College of the Bible, Friday evening, at Austin-Tindall Regional Park.

It is the third consecutive season that Southeastern has reached the NCCAA II National Final Four.

Lake Gibson graduate Jacob Bloodworth got the Fire on the board just eight minutes into the game on an assist from freshman Brenton Hitchcock.

Bloodworth has five goals in his last four national tournament games, going back to last season.

However, the story of this game was Southeastern's pressing offensive attack that kept the Saints on defense the entire game.

Southeastern did not allow a shot on goal the entire game, controlling the ball throughout, and outshooting the Saints 29-0.

Putting in a great performance, Saints goal keeper Adam Strong made 27 saves in the game, keeping the Saints in the game. Some of Strong's saves were incredible, including a huge one on freshman Andy Osborn at the 21 minute mark of the first half that kept the score 1-0 going into halftime.

Strong made another key save on Bloodworth at the 30 minute mark of the second half--and followed with another just two minutes later on another Lake Gibson grad, Justin Tait.

"He is what you call a good shot stopper," said Fire Head Coach Drew Stacey. "He cut angles well and I think he had to be the man of the match for them."

Eventually, Southeastern's Andrew Prevost put the game away, scoring with just 2:35 remaining on a pass from Anthony Kolodziej.

"It is good to come out with a 'W,' but it is upsetting to have 29 shots on goal and come out with only two goals," added Stacey. "Unfortunately, our strikers were unable to put us in a position to get our subs into the game."

Southeastern is now 13-4-2 on the year and will play the winner of the game between No. 3 seed Providence College and No. 6 seed Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Saturday, at 7:00 p.m.

In other action, Manhattan Christian College, this year's No. 1 seed and last year's champion, defeated No. 8 seed Johnson Bible College, 4-0, on Friday. Manhattan Christian will play the winner of the game between No. 4 seed Southwestern Christian University and No. 5 seed Philadelphia Biblical University, Saturday, at 4:30 p.m.

Fire Opens National Tournament Friday Evening
(11-12-08)

KISSIMMEE, Fla.--The past two NCCAA II National Tournaments for the Southeastern University men's soccer team have been pure joy and pure heartache, respectively.

In 2006, the Fire ripped through the national tournament and won the school's first national championship in men's soccer as the tournament's No. 5 seed.

In 2007, the Fire grabbed the No. 2 seed, but lost in overtime in the national championship game to Manhattan Christian College, 2-1.

This year, the Fire has grabbed the No. 2 seed once again after winning its third straight South Region championship.

Southeastern finished the 2008 regular season with a 12-4-2 overall record, and despite losing some key seniors from last year's team, this year's team is far more experienced than the team that won the 2006 title.

The Fire has seven players returning from the 2006 national championship team and 13 players returning from last year's team that came just 5:47 away from repeating as NCCAA II National Champions.

Included in those returning players is senior Ryan Rogers, who was named the 2007 NCCAA II National Tournament's Most Valuable Player a year ago, and All-Americans Jacob Bloodworth, Bart Sheldrake, and Andrew Prevost.

Southeastern will open the tournament Friday evening versus No. 7 seed Central Christian College of the Bible. Game time is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

With a victory, Southeastern would play the winner of the game between No. 3 seed Providence College and No. 6 seed Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Saturday, at 7:00 p.m.

This year's national championship game will be on Monday, November 17, at 6:15 p.m. All games will be held at Austin-Tindall Regional Park in Kissimmee, Fla.

Fire Loses Close Game To Northwood University, 1-0
(11-05-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's soccer team dropped its final regular season game of the year to Northwood University, 1-0, Tuesday evening at the Southeastern soccer complex.

The Fire rested many of its regular starters and was not able to get a goal past Northwood goal keeper Andy Robertson.

Southeastern was outshot 20-6, and Northwood's Daniel Gocic scored the only goal of the game in the second half.

Southeastern ends the regular season with a 12-4-2 overall record. The Fire is the No. 2 seed in the 2008 NCCAA II national tournament November 14-17 in Kissimmee.

SEU will open up the tournament Thursday evening at 4:30 p.m. versus No. 7 seed Central Christian College of the Bible (Moberly, Mo.).

Fire Rallies To Win Third Straight South Region Title
(11-01-08)

TOCCOA FALLS, Ga.--After getting down 2-0 in the first half, the Southeastern men's soccer team rallied and scored three unanswered goals to come from behind and defeat Toccoa Falls College 3-2, Saturday night, and win its third straight South Region Championship.

Andrew Prevost got Southeastern on the board right before halftime on an assist from Anthony Kolodziej, making the score 2-1.

Freshman Knox Strawbridge tied the game for the Fire on an assist from Matt LoPresti, and the Fire defense tightened up from there.

Two Polk County products then became the heroes for the Fire. Lake Gibson graduate Jacob Bloodworth scored an unassisted goal for the game winner with just 10 minutes remaining in the game.

Then, with just under five minutes remaining, former George Jenkins standout Bart Sheldrake made a huge save on a breakaway attack by Toccoa Falls.

Southeastern is now 12-3-2 on the year and will have to wait till later in the week to see where it will be seeded for the 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament, November 14-17, in Kissimmee, Fla.

The Fire won the 2006 NCCAA II National Championship, but lost the national championship game last season to Manhattan Christian College in overtime.

Southeastern also took home numerous awards on Saturday. Ryan Rogers was named the South Region Player of the Year, while Michael Carey, Sheldrake, Prevost, and LoPresti were all named First Team All-Region.

George Jenkins graduate Ben Seitz and Lake Gibson graduate Justin Tait, along with Bloodworth, all were named Second Team All-Region.

Fire Head Coach Drew Stacey was named the 2008 South Region Coach of the Year.

SEU Dominates Atlanta Christian; Advances To South Region Championship

TOCCOA FALLS, Ga.--The Southeastern University men's soccer team is one win away from winning its third straight South Region title as the Fire defeated Atlanta Christian College, 4-0, Friday night to advance to the 2008 South Region Championship game.

Former Lake Gibson standout Justin Tait stole the show Friday night, scoring the hat trick for the Fire.

Tait scored the only goal of the first half on a pass from another Polk County player, Ben Seitz,
who graduated from George Jenkins high school.

Freshman Knox Strawbridge scored Southeastern's first goal of the second half on an assist from Ben Stagge.

Tait then scored back-to-back goals to put the Chargers away for good, both goals assisted by Andrew Prevost.

Freshman goal keeper Jason Griffin earned the shutout in net and also made a nice save on a penalty kick in the game.

Southeastern (11-3-2) will play No. 3 seed Toccoa Falls College, Saturday, at 5:00 p.m. Toccoa Falls defeated No. 2 seed Clearwater Christian College 2-1 Friday night.

The Fire went 2-0 versus the Eagles in the regular season, defeating Toccoa Falls 5-0 in their most recent meeting in Lakeland back on October 3rd.

Southeastern is looking to win its third straight South Region title and extend its South Region unbeaten streak to 17 games.

Fire Pounds Florida College, 7-2; will Open South Region Tournament With Atlanta Christian College
(10-30-08)

TEMPLE TERRACE--The Southeastern University men's soccer team defeated Florida College, 7-2, on Friday night in preparation for this weekend's South Region tournament.

Andrew Prevost led the Fire with two goals and an assist while Ben Seitz added a goal and an assist in the game.

Michael Carey added a goal along with Justin Tait, Jacob Gregory, and Joseph Davis.

Ryan Rogers had two assists in the game while Ben Stagge also added one assist.

Southeastern is now 10-3-2 on the season and will be the No. 1 seed for this weekend's South Region tournament in Toccoa, Georgia.

The Fire will open up with Atlanta Christian College, Friday at 5:00 p.m.

SEU went 2-0 versus ACC this season; the Fire defeated the Chargers, 5-4, in Atlanta back on September 5 and also won 4-0 at home back on October 4.

Fire Earns Tie Against Palm Beach Atlantic
(10-16-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's soccer team played NCAA D-II Palm Beach Atlantic University to a 2-2 tie, Thursday night, at the Southeastern University Soccer Complex before 1,000 Fire fans.

Fire goal keeper and George Jenkins alumnus, Bart Sheldrake, literally "saved the day" for the Fire by making two penalty kick saves in the second half to help lift the Fire to a tie.

One of those PK saves came with just under two minutes remaining in the game.

Southeastern got on the board first when another George Jenkins alumnus, freshman Jacob Gregory, gave Southeastern a 1-0 lead at the 31 minute mark of the first half.

Former Lake Gibson standout Jacob Bloodworth then scored just three minutes later to give Southeastern a 2-0 lead.

Another former Lake Gibson standout, Justin Tait, assisted on both Southeastern goals.

Palm Beach Atlantic would come right back, though, when Dan Dodge scored to make the game 2-1 just two minutes after Bloodworth's goal.

The Sailfish would tie the game before the half on a penalty kick by Cheyne Roberts. Palm Beach Atlantic had three penalty kicks and outshot the Fire 9-6 on the night.

Sheldrake had eight saves in the game as the Fire improve to 9-2-2 on the season.

The Sailfish finished second in the nation last year in the 2007 NCCAA D-I National Tournament. Southeastern won the 2006 NCCAA D-II National Championship and finished second in last year's national tournament, so this game was somewhat of a measuring stick game for the Fire.

"This was a huge game for us," said Fire Head Coach Drew Stacey. "This will really help us with recruiting."

More importantly for the Fire, Palm Beach Atlantic is an NCAA D-II school, and with the Fire moving into the NAIA next season, games like this have an added importance.

Southeastern has another one of these "measuring stick" games coming up, October 21, as the team travels to St. Leo to play NCAA D-II St. Leo University.

The Fire has clinched the No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCCAA II South Region Tournament, October 31-November 1, in Toccoa Falls, Ga.

Fire Blanks Transylvania University, 2-0

LAKELAND--The Southeastern men's soccer team is coming together at just the right time again for Head Coach Drew Stacey.

The Fire defeated Clearwater Christian College this past Thursday, 5-1, and then shut out Transylvania University, 2-0, this past Monday to improve to 9-2-1 on the year.

Andrew Prevost got Southeastern on the board first, scoring on an assist from Phillip Durand at the 32 minute mark of the first half.

Southeastern led 1-0 at the half and held Transylvania to just two shots on goal for the game.

Ryan Rogers scored on an assist from Justin Tait in the second half to close out the scoring for the Fire.

Bart Sheldrake earned his fifth shutout of the season.

Southeastern will host NCAA II Palm Beach Atlantic University Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

Fire Pounds Clearwater Christian To Lock Up No. 1 Seed
(10-09-08)

CLEARWATER--The Southeastern University men's soccer team locked up the No. 1 seed in the upcoming South Region Tournament by defeating Clearwater Christian College, 5-1, Tuesday night.

Justin Tait had two goals and an assist, while Andrew Prevost also added two goals for the Fire, who led 3-1 at the half.

Jacob Bloodworth scored Southeastern's other goal and also added an assist. Ryan Rogers and Brenton Hitchcock both added assists in the game as well.

Southeastern and Clearwater Christian played to a 1-1 tie earlier in the year in Lakeland, but on Tuesday night, the Fire would not be denied, improving its South Region unbeaten streak to 15 games.

For the third straight year, Southeastern will be the No. 1 seed in the South Region Tournament. Southeastern has won two straight South Region titles, and three South Region titles in four years.

Bart Sheldrake was named the NCCAA II National Player of the Year after recording two shutouts this weekend over South Region opponents.

Southeastern (8-2-1, 5-0-1) will host Transylvania University on Monday.

Fire Sweeps Weekend South Region Games

LAKELAND--The Southeastern men's soccer team had two huge South Region home games this weekend versus Toccoa Falls College and Atlanta Christian College.

With these two wins and a win Tuesday versus Clearwater Christian College, Southeastern could lock up the No. 1 seed in the South Region Tournament, October 31-November 1, in Toccoa Falls, Georgia.

The Fire battled Toccoa Falls College, Friday night, defeating the Eagles, 5-0, behind Brenton Hitchcock's two goals.

Andrew Prevost, Kirk Carey, and Knox Strawbridge all added goals for the Fire.

On Saturday, Southeastern defeated Atlanta Christian College, 4-0, to improve to 7-2-1 on the season and 4-0-1 in the South Region.

Jacob Bloodworth scored two goals and Carey added a third for the Fire. The fourth goal was an own goal, knocked in by an Atlanta Christian player.

Bart Sheldrake had two shutouts on the weekend.

Fire Gets Hard Fought Win over Tennessee Temple
(09-30-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern men's soccer team defeated Tennessee Temple University, 4-1, this past Friday before its home crowd in a much needed, hard fought victory.

Southeastern outshot Tennessee Temple, 14-12, but it was Southeastern's all-American goal keeper Bart Sheldrake who made the difference.

Sheldrake made 11 saves in the game to help keep Southeastern out in front convincingly.

SEU led 3-1 at halftime and got goals in the game from Justin Tait, Jacob Bloodworth, Kirk Carey, and Brenton Hitchcock.

Ben Seitz, Knox Strawbridge, and Tait all added assists in the game.

Tennessee Temple's Micah Smith scored its only goal in the first half of the game.

Southeastern (5-2-1) will battle Toccoa Falls College, Friday, at 6:00 p.m. SEU also will host Atlanta Christian College on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.

Fire Blanks Ave Maria University, 4-0
(09-16-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's soccer team shut out Ave Maria University, 4-0, Saturday afternoon at Southeastern's soccer complex.

Senior Ryan Rogers scored the hat trick for the Fire, which improves to 4-1-1 on the young season.

Another senior, Kirk Carey, scored SEU's other goal as Ben Seitz and Jonathan Vincent added assists in the game.

George W. Jenkins Senior High School (Lakeland, Fla.) graduate Bart Sheldrake earned the shutout in net for the Fire.

Southeastern will battle Piedmont Baptist College, Thursday, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Fire will then travel to Fayetteville, North Carolina, to play Methodist University on Saturday.

SEU, Clearwater Play to 1-1 Draw
(09-11-08)

LAKELAND--The much-anticipated game between Southeastern University and Clearwater Christian College did not disappoint Tuesday night when the two teams played to a 1-1 tie before a boisterous Southeastern crowd.

After Clearwater Christian's Paul Vanaman scored to put the Cougars up 1-0, Southeastern's Kirk Carey scored on an assist from Knox Strawbridge to tie the game at 1-1 at the half.

Southeastern outshot Clearwater Christian 15-3 for the game, but could not slip a goal past Clearwater goalkeeper Stephen Hutt.

The tie for the game is the first between these teams since last year's South Region championship game, which the Fire won in penalty kicks. South Region rules state that no penalty kick shootout will take place during regular season games.

The Fire is now 3-1-1 on the year and will host Ave Maria University on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Fire Blanks Huntingdon, 1-0; Falls To Union University
(08-31-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's soccer team defeated Huntingdon College, 1-0, Sunday afternoon to earn its first victory of the young 2008 season.

The Fire opened up its year, Saturday night, versus NAIA Union University. The Fire fell 3-2 despite having numerous opportunities in the final few minutes to tie the game and force overtime.

Freshman Knox Strawbridge scored both of SEU's goals on Saturday.

In Sunday's game, two former Lake Gibson Senior High School (Lakeland, Fla.) graduates hooked up for SEU's only goal. Justin Tait scored at the 24-minute mark on an assist from Jacob Bloodworth.

George W. Jenkins Senior High School (Lakeland, Fla.) alumus Bart Sheldrake earned the shutout in net for the Fire.

With the victory, SEU is now 1-1 on the year and will next travel to Atlanta, Georgia, to play Atlanta Christian College on Friday night.

Stacey Signs Nine Players For 2008 Season
(07-19-08)

LAKELAND--Southeastern men's soccer coach, Drew Stacey, signed nine players Saturday at a luncheon in the Southeastern Sportsplex, including two Polk County standouts, Jacob Gregory and Ben Seitz.

Both Gregory and Seitz played their high school soccer at nearby George Jenkins.

"The opportunity to play soccer in a Christian environment, and my relationship with Coach Stacey and the players brought me here," said Seitz when asked why he chose Southeastern.

Seitz's sister, Beth, is a two-time All-American for the Lady Fire soccer team while another George Jenkins alumni, Bart Sheldrake, plays goal keeper for the Fire and was named a Second Team All-American in 2007.

"I have never played in a place with such a positive atmosphere, said Gregory. Then, I attended a chapel service and I was excited about getting in touch with God with a lot of people your age."

Gregory was a 2007 All-County selection by The Ledger and helped guide George Jenkins to the district championship as they defeated two-time state champions Auburndale High School.

The Fire also signed two nearby Orlando players Phillip Carlos Durand and Andy Osborn who both graduated from Winter Springs High School this past year.

Durand participated in the Seminole County senior all-star game while Osborn was named Second Team All-Conference his senior year.

Also signing on Saturday was Michael Carey (Ashton, MD), Anthony Michael Kolodziej (Valrico, FL), Brenton Hitchcock (Panama City, FL), Joseph Davis (Marianna, FL), and Knox Strawbridge (Ocala, FL).

Carey is another player who is keeping it in the family so to speak, as he will play alongside his older brother, Kirk, who is currently a mid-fielder for the Fire entering his senior season.

"I really look forward getting a lot of minutes in for these guys, said Stacey. I recruited this class for the NAIA."

Southeastern has already officially joined the National Athletic Intercollegiate Association. However, women's volleyball, men's golf, baseball, and women's tennis will join the Florida Sun Conference in 2009, followed by men's and women's soccer and men's and women's basketball in 2010.

The Fire opens their season on August 30th, when they host Union University at 7:00 p.m.

Stacey has led the Fire to consecutive NCCAA II National Championship games. The Fire won the 2006 NCCAA II National Championship, the university's first national championship in men's soccer.

Current Fire Team Rallies In Alumni Game To Beat Former Fire Players, 3-2
(04-24-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's soccer team kicked off the university's first-ever alumni game, Friday night, at the Southeastern University soccer complex, treating fans to an exciting 3-2 victory of the current Fire team over the alumni.

For many of the twenty-two alumni players who participated, it was their first opportunity to play under the lights in the newly renovated Southeastern soccer complex.

The game was highly anticipated as the alumni fielded five former All-Americans and ten former All-Region players.

The teams started quickly and, for a while, kept up a furious pace, the alumni taking a strong lead with 2005 graduate Lucas Ferrer making several quick runs in and 2006 graduate Randy Kok sending dangerous crosses in from the right flank.

Ten minutes into the game, 2003 graduate Sam Lopez knocked the dust off his boots and slid a ball into the back of the net with an assist from senior George Arroyo, playing with the alumni team. Shortly afterwards, 2007 graduate Ryan Kirk was taken out by freshman goal keeper Jason Griffin, awarding the alumni a penalty kick. Kirk coolly finished the penalty to give the alumni a 2-0 lead.

The game remained intense as alumni defenders Robert Rivers (2007) and James Wentworth (2007) teamed up again to keep the Fire out of goal reach. Twenty-eight minutes into the game, however, junior Jacob Bloodworth scored off a deflection from a run in out of the right back, giving the Fire its first goal.

Freshman Brent Murray shortly followed up on a poor defensive clearance to tie the game at 2-2.

Late in the match, the pace of the game slowed as lack of conditioning began to take its toll on the returning alumni, giving the Fire an opportunity for a quick build up as incoming freshman Ben Seitz scored the game-winning goal for the Fire.

All in all, it was a great match that allowed both teams to showcase the talents that have made the men's soccer program so strong for the last six years. In addition, the competition between former Fire and current Fire players gave Coach Drew Stacey a chance to see some of the current freshman signings in action during actual competitive play.

The evening culminated with forty players, past, present, and future, united in singing the Fire men's soccer theme song, "Walk On," before the students and families who had come to witness this momentous reunion. Go Fire!

Men's Soccer Team To Host Alumni Game April 18
(04-02-08)

The Southeastern University men's soccer team will hold an alumni soccer game, April 18, at the Southeastern University soccer complex.

The game is scheduled for 8:00 p.m., and Head Coach Drew Stacey is hoping for many Crusader and Fire alumni from the past to come out and challenge his 2008 team in a friendly exhibition contest.

If you have any questions concerning the game please contact Coach Stacey at (863) 667-5142.

NATIONALS: Fire Can't Repeat; Fall In Overtime
(11-12-07)

KISSIMMEE--The Southeastern University men's soccer team came up just short of repeating as the NCCAA II National Champion on Monday night in the championship game versus No. 1 seed Manhattan Christian College. The Fire fell 2-1 in overtime.

SEU got an early 1-0 lead off the foot of sophomore Andrew Prevost at the 37:43 mark of the first half.

But Manhattan Christian was relentless in the second half, and Fire goal keeper Bart Sheldrake came up with huge saves down the stretch to keep SEU on top.

Manhattan Christian's Greg Klass tied the game with just 5:47 remaining in regulation to force overtime.

Then, just 3:16 seconds into overtime, Klass scored the game-winner off of a corner kick, avenging a 1-0 Manhattan Christian loss to SEU in last year's NCCAA II national semifinals.

"We played a good team today," said Southeastern Head Coach Drew Stacey. "Overall it was a good year, and we did really well to get where we did."

Manhattan and Southeastern had been ranked No. 1 and No. 2 all year long, and Monday night's championship game did not disappoint.

Nearly 1,000 people came out for the game, which was held at Austin Tindall Regional Park in Kissimmee.

Lake Gibson graduate Jacob Bloodworth was named to the national all-tournament team while seniors Jon Jones and George Arroyo also were named to the all-tournament team.

SEU's Ryan Rogers was named the tournament's most valuable player.

Southeastern finishes the season with a 16-5-1 overall record.

NATIONALS: SEU One Win Away from Repeating as National Champs
(11-11-07)

KISSIMMEE--The Southeastern University men's soccer team is one win away from repeating as NCCAA II National Champions after it defeated No. 3 seed Philadelphia Biblical University, 3-2, Saturday night at the Austin Tindall Regional Park soccer complex in the NCCAA II National Semifinals.

Junior Jacob Bloodworth has been on a tear for the Fire in this year's national tournament.

The former Lake Gibson standout scored two goals Friday night in SEU's 4-0 victory over Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, and he added two more goals on Saturday night, including the game-winner.

Bloodworth got the Fire on the board first at the 31:03 mark in the first half on an assist from Ryan Rogers.

Philadelphia Biblical tied the game before halftime at 1-1.

SEU struck quickly in the second half, scoring two goals in the first two minutes of the second half.

The first goal was scored by senior Jon Jones on an assist from another Lake Gibson graduate, Justin Tait.

Tait would then assist on Bloodworth's game-winner just 21 seconds later, allowing SEU to open up a 3-1 lead and defeat PBU for the second straight year in the national tournament.

"We expected a battle and good teams find a way to win," said Head Coach Drew Stacey, who also played his high school soccer at Lake Gibson.

In all, Southeastern's roster boasts five players from Polk County, including goal keeper Bart Sheldrake, who improves to 5-0 in the national tournament since 2006. Sheldrake, a George Jenkins graduate, made five saves in the game versus Philadelphia Biblical.

Southeastern will face No. 1 seed Manhattan Christian (Manhattan, Kans.) in the NCCAA II National Championship Game Monday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Austin Tindall Regional Park soccer complex in Kissimmee.

Manhattan Christian defeated a team that Southeastern knows very well in the national semifinals, Clearwater Christian, in a penalty kick shootout: 1-1, 4-2.

Monday night's national title game will be a battle between the No. 1 ranked team in the country (Manhattan Christian) and the No. 2 ranked team in the country (Southeastern University).

SEU defeated Manhattan Christian in last year's national semifinals, 1-0, on its way to winning its first NCCAA II national title in men's soccer.

With the win Saturday night, SEU improves to 16-4-1 on the season.

NATIONALS: Fire Advances to NCCAA Final Four for Second Consecutive Season
(11-09-07)

KISSIMMEE--For the second consecutive season, the Southeastern University men's soccer team advanced to the NCCAA II Final Four. They advanced by defeating No. 7 seed Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, 4-0, Friday night in the NCCAA II National Tournament at the Austin Tindall Regional Park soccer complex.

Fire senior George Arroyo put SEU on the board at the 11:55 mark of the first half on a pass from Andrew Prevost.

SEU took a 2-0 lead into halftime on Jacob Bloodworth's goal, as the Fire outshot HFB 18-1 for the game.

"We did what we had to do tonight," said Fire Head Coach Drew Stacey.

SEU would go up 3-0 on an own goal at the 30:26 mark in the second half, and Bloodworth would score his second goal of the game late in the second half on another pass from Prevost.

"I wanted us to come out and play really reserved," added Stacey. "But we still wanted to play solid soccer."

On Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Southeastern (15-4-1) will play the winner of No. 3 seed Philadelphia Biblical University and No. 6 seed Cincinnati Christian University.

The winner would advance to the national title game, which will be played on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Southeastern is looking to repeat as NCCAA II National Champions. In 2006, SEU won its first national championship in men's soccer.

Fire Lands No. 2 Seed In National Tournament
(10-30-07)

LAKELAND--After SEU's dramatic penalty shootout victory over Clearwater Christian College, the Fire got even better news Sunday night when it learned the team will be the No. 2 seed in the NCCAA II national tournament in Kissimmee, November 8-10.

SEU won the 2006 NCCAA II national tournament as the No. 5 seed a year ago.

As Fire Coach Drew Stacey prepares his team for the tournament, he said, "the main difference is the fact that teams have now seen us play, and they will be making changes to try and slow us down. We need to open ourselves to becoming a deeper team this week and next to give our attacking players more options and play in scenerios to their defensive changes."

Manhattan Christian College earned the No. 1 seed for the second straight year.

The Fire defeated Manhattan Christian College in last year's national semifinals game, 1-0, on its road to the national championship.

"Any team in the top five this year can take it; we started out at the No. 5 seed and made it all the way (last year)," added Coach Stacey. "I don't want to make the mistake of focusing on one team."

SEU still has two regular season games left on the year but has an overall record of 14-2-1; the Fire finished the year with a 13-1 record versus NCCAA II opponents.

Who the Fire plays in round one is still undetermined. Stay in touch with the Southeastern University Athletics Web site for all the latest scores and tournament information.

SOUTH REGION TOURNAMENT: Fire Wins in Penalty Shootout, 3-0
(10-27-07)

CLEARWATER--The Southeastern University men's soccer team won its third South Region title in four years by defeating rival Clearwater Christian College, 3-0, in a penalty shootout after a scoreless regulation and double overtime.

These two rivals played to a hard-fought 1-0 final score back on October 16, a game which Southeastern won, giving Clearwater Christian its only South Region loss on the year.

"The way this game just played out, this just proves that we have the strongest region in the nation," said Head Coach Drew Stacey. "This was the best game I have ever watched between Southeastern and Clearwater."

Former George Jenkins standout Bart Sheldrake made some big saves in regulation and earned the shutout for the Fire, the ninth shutout SEU has recorded this year.

In the penalty shootout, Coach Stacey sent junior Vijay Chandra to kick first, and Chandra drilled a ball home to give the Fire the only goal the team would need.

Sophomore Andrew Prevost then followed Chandra with another goal, putting more pressure on CCC and keeping the shootout going.

SEU's third player to kick was freshman Adam Clark, and Clark put the game away as CCC could not convert on its third attempt, giving the Fire its second victory over the Cougars this season.

"Well I knew that if I hit that one, and then if they missed, then we would win it, so I knew I had to make it," said Clark of his game-clinching goal.

The Fire will now advance to the NCCAA II National Tournament and defend its national championship.

SEU was ranked No. 3 in the country in the most recent NCCAA II poll; Clearwater Christian was ranked No. 2.

"This year has nothing to do with last year; we have a bunch of new guys," added Sheldrake when asked about defending their national championship. "Clearwater will be one of the toughest teams in the [national] tournament, so if we can beat them in regionals, then we are a step ahead of everybody else."

Sheldrake seems to play his best soccer when the Fire needs him the most. Sheldrake recorded a shutout in last year's South Region Championship game versus Toccoa Falls College, and he recorded two more shutouts in nationals last year, including a 1-0 shutout in the national championship game.

Southeastern is now 14-2-1 on the year and finished South Region play with an 11-1 record.

Clearwater Christian is almost certain to earn an at-large bid into the NCCAA II National Tournament, which will take place November 8-10 in Kissimmee.

The Fire also took home some hardware individually from the South Region Tournament.

For the second straight year, Sheldrake was named a First Team All-Region player along with Ryan Rogers, George Arroyo, Jon Jones, and Andrew Prevost.

Ryan Kirk and former Lake Region standout John Peter Louine, along with Chandra and Clark, were all named Second Team All-Region.

Seeding for the 2007 NCCAA II National Tournament will be announced Sunday night.

SOUTH REGION TOURNAMENT: Fire Advances To Championship Game
(10-26-07)

CLEARWATER--The Southeastern University men's soccer team defeated Toccoa Falls College Friday afternoon for the third time this season--this time, 5-2--in the South Region Tournament's semifinals game at Glen Oaks Soccer Complex.

With the win, the Fire now advances to the South Region Championship game for the second straight year, this year facing No. 1 seed Clearwater Christian, on Saturday, for the South Region title.

Jacob Bloodworth scored two first-half goals to give SEU a 2-0 lead at halftime as the Fire out-shot Toccoa Falls 13-3 for the game.

Sophomore Andrew Prevost scored three second-half goals to put the game away for the Fire, allowing SEU to look already towards Saturday and its chance to repeat as South Region Champions.

John Allison, Vijay Chandra, George Arroyo, and goalie Bart Sheldrake all had assists in the game for Southeastern.

Saturday's championship game will be at 6:00 p.m. at Glen Oaks Soccer Complex in Clearwater.

Clearwater Christian defeated Piedmont Baptist Bible College, Friday, 2-0 to advance to the South Region Championship game.

SEU and Clearwater Christian split with one another during the regular season, but the Fire most recently defeated CCC, 1-0, on October 16th.

Men's soccer South Region tournament: Schedule and Directions
(10-23-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's soccer team is preparing for the 2007 South Region tournament this weekend in Clearwater.

The Fire has won two out of the past three annual South Region tournaments and looks to win this year as the No. 2 seed.

The Fire went 12-2-1 overall on the year and 9-1 in the South Region. Its only loss came from No.1 seed Clearwater Christian College, and the Cougars earned the No. 1 seed based on a tie-breaker where the Cougars scored more goals in their two head-to-head contests with Southeastern.

SEU will open the tournament Friday versus Toccoa Falls College at 3:30 p.m.

The Fire went 2-0 versus TFC during the regular season, outscoring the Eagles 9-0 combined.

With a victory, SEU would play in the South Region championship game on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

All games will be played at Glen Oaks Parks soccer complex in Clearwater. Directions are below.

DIRECTIONS

From Tampa, go to Clearwater by way of Courtney Campbell Causeway (Highway #60). In Clearwater, Courtney Campbell Causeway becomes Gulf to Bay Boulevard. Stay on Gulf to Bay Boulevard, passing US 19, Belcher Road, and Keene Road. You will pass Crest Lake Park on the right. The next light is Highland Avenue at which point Gulf to Bay Boulevard turns off to the right and Court Street is straight ahead. Follow Court Street; go 1/2 mile, and the fields are on the left.

Complex address: 1345 Court Street, Clearwater, FL 33756 (two new soccer fields where the old Glen Oaks golf course used to be)

Fire Blanks Clearwater Christian, 1-0
(10-17-07)

LAKELAND--For well over a month, the Southeastern men's soccer team had to look at a blemish on its South Region record and do nothing but wait until October 16 for revenge.

SEU got revenge Tuesday night before 550 crazy SEU fans at the Southeastern University soccer complex when George Arroyo scored on a penalty kick late in the second half to give the Fire a 1-0 victory.

The victory improves SEU's overall record to 12-2-1 and its South Region record to 9-1.

Unfortunately for the Fire, Clearwater Christian clinches the No. 1 seed in the upcoming South Region tournament based on goals scored in the two games against one another.

SEU fell to Clearwater Christian College, 2-0, back on September 11 in Clearwater and had to wait 35 days to play CCC again.

The Fire will finish up its regular season with a game versus Florida College on Saturday in Temple Terrace.

Southeastern defeated Florida College, 6-0, back on August 28 in Lakeland.

Fire Handles Trinity Baptist, 4-0
(10-15-07)

JACKSONVILLE--The Southeastern University men's soccer team defeated Trinity Baptist College, 4-0, on Friday night behind big nights from Andrew Prevost and Adam Clark.

Prevost and Clark both scored two goals apiece as SEU improved to 11-2-1 on the year with its eighth shutout of the year.

Ryan Rogers, Ryan Kirk, and Kyle Marshall all added assists.

Freshman Matt Honeycutt recorded his fourth shutout of the season.

The Fire will play interstate rivals Clearwater Christian at home Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.

The winner of Tuesday night's game will determine who the No. 1 seed will be in the upcoming South Region tournament, October 23-27, in Clearwater.

Fire Cruises Past Toccoa Falls, Piedmont Baptist
(09-25-07)

WINSTON-SALEM, NC--The Southeastern men's soccer team completed a South Region sweep this weekend as the Fire defeated Toccoa Falls College and Piedmont Baptist College, outscoring the two schools 9-0 combined.

On Friday night, the Fire defeated Toccoa Falls College, 5-0, behind sophomore Andrew Prevost's hat trick.

Former George Jenkins High School (Lakeland, Fla.) standout Bart Sheldrake recorded the shutout for the Fire.

On Saturday, Southeastern recorded its fourth consecutive shutout, as the Fire defeated Piedmont Baptist College, 4-0, improving to 6-1 in the South Region.

John Allison scored two goals while Adam Clark and Kirk Carey both added goals for the Fire; the Fire has outscored its South Region opponents 42-4 this season so far.

Southeastern is now 8-1-1 on the year and will travel to Montgomery, Alabama, this weekend to play NAIA Huntingdon College on Sunday.

Fire Routs Tennessee Temple, 11-0
(09-17-07)

LAKELAND--Since falling to Clearwater Christian College this past Tuesday, the Southeastern University men's soccer team has been on a real tear.

The Fire has gone 2-0 since the loss, outscoring its opponents 15-0; SEU defeated Tennessee Temple University, 11-0, on Saturday at the Southeastern University soccer complex.

Ryan Rogers, Justin Tait, Joseph Lovette, and Ryan Kirk all scored two goals apiece.

Andrew Lovette, George Arroyo, and John Peter Louine all added goals as Southeastern improves to 6-1-1 on the year and 4-1 in the South Region.

Rogers added four assists in the game while Matt LoPresti added three assists.

John Allison added two assists while Tait and Kirk Carey added the other assists for SEU.

Southeastern will travel this weekend for three games, starting with Toccoa Falls College on Friday.

Fire Blanks Toccoa Falls, 4-0

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's soccer team rebounded following its loss to Clearwater Christian this past Tuesday by shutting out Toccoa Falls College, 4-0, Friday night.

Andrew Provost got SEU on the board in the first half at the 20-minute mark. Ryan Rogers followed just four minutes later to give SEU a 2-0 lead. Sophomore John Peter Louine assisted on both goals.

Two Polk County products scored in the second half for the Fire. Former Lake Gibson standout Justin Tait scored an unassisted goal to start the second half while McKeel Academy alumni John Allison ended the scoring for SEU.

George Jenkins graduate Bart Sheldrake earned the shutout for the Fire, who improves to 5-1-1 on the season. The Fire will host Tennessee Temple on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Fire Stays Red Hot On Road Trip
(09-09-07)

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.--The Southeastern University men's soccer team won two games this past weekend on a two-game road trip to Georgia and Tennessee.

The Fire defeated Atlanta Christian College, 13-1, on Friday to earn its first South Region win of the season.

Freshman forward Jonathan Wilson scored a career-high five goals in the contest as eight different SEU players scored in the game.

Jon Jones scored a goal and added three assists while John Peter Louine added a goal and two assists.

John Allison, Vijay Chandra, and Ryan Rogers all scored a goal and added an assist.

Justin Tait added a goal, and two players scored off the bench, including freshman Andrew Lovette, who netted his first goal of his SEU career. Adam Clark added the other goal.

On Saturday, SEU played a much closer contest with Tennessee Temple University. The Fire went on to win 5-1 on Kirk Carey's first career hat trick at Southeastern.

Jones and Louine added the other goals while Joe Lovette added two assists. Chandra added another assist in the game as well.

Next up for SEU: a tough road game at Clearwater Christian College this upcoming Tuesday.

Fire Opens Season With 6-0 Victory Over Florida College
(08-28-07)

LAKELAND--Head Coach Drew Stacey got a great effort from some new faces Tuesday afternoon as four new Fire players earned a point in SEU's 6-0 victory over Florida College in the Fire season opener.

Freshman Adam Clark started off his Southeastern career with a hat-trick, scoring two of his goals in the second half to put the game away for the Fire.

Ryan Kirk got SEU on the board just 15 minutes into the game on an assist from Kirk Carey. Carey finished the day with two assists.

Clark scored his first goal of the game just seven minutes later as SEU led 2-0 at halftime.

Junior transfer Andrew Prevost got the scoring going in the second half and Clark followed with his next two goals.

Freshman and Lake Gibson graduate Justin Tait scored the final goal for the Fire. Tait would add an assist also, while freshman and former McKeel Academy standout John Allison also recorded an assist for the game.

Southeastern, the defending NCCAA II National Champions, will host NCAA III Fontbonne University Friday night at 7:00 p.m.

Fire Season Opener Washed Out
(08-27-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern men's soccer team's season opener versus Florida College was postponed Saturday night due to severe weather in the area.

No make-up date has been announced.

The Fire is now set to open up its season at home versus NCAA III Fontbonne University Friday night at 7:00 p.m.

Southeastern Announces 2007 Men's Soccer Schedule
(07-23-07)

LAKELAND--The defending NCCAA II National Champions will have eight home games in 2007 and will open up its season with a three-game home stand.

SEU opens its season with a night game against Florida College on August 28.

The Fire also will welcome three new competitors in 2007: Fontbonne University (St. Louis, Mo.), Huntingdon College (Montgomery, Ala.), and Trinity Baptist (Jacksonville, Fla.).

SEU will continue its tradition of playing tougher non-region opponents; the Fire will take on NCAA II Palm Beach Atlantic University and NAIA Northwood University this year once again.

The South Region Tournament will be held in Clearwater, Fla. and hosted by Clearwater Christian College. The tournament will take place October 26-27.

The Fire has won two of the past three South Region titles and went 11-1 against South Region opponents last season.

Coach Stacey Announces 2007 Recruiting Class
(05-26-07)

LAKELAND--Defending NCCAA II men's soccer national champion Southeastern University announced its 2007 recruiting class with a signing luncheon at the university's Sportsplex, Saturday afternoon, led by Head Coach Drew Stacey.

"This class was generally recruited for defenders," said Stacey. "We needed to replace the defenders we lost from last year."

Coach Stacey signed six defensive-minded players to help give the Fire a good chance at repeating as NCCAA II men's soccer national champion next season.

"Some of them are mid-field players that I look to convert into defenders," Stacey said.

Stacey also focused on recruiting from Polk County, for two of the six players signed on Saturday played their high school soccer in Lakeland.

Justin Tait is a mid-fielder who played four years of varsity soccer at nearby Lake Gibson Senior High School.

"Justin is a good outside attacking player, so he is going to fit in great with the style I employ," Coach Stacey said.

The other Polk County product is John Allison, a four-year player at McKeel Academy. Allison was a team captain the past two seasons and helped McKeel to a district championship in 2007.

"He's probably one of the hardest-working mid-fielders I have ever seen," added Stacey. "I think schools will be upset that they didn't get a hold of these guys."

Joining Tait and Allison will be two teammates from Gainesville's P.K. Yonge High School.

Matt Honeycutt is the only goal keeper in this year's class, and Adam Clark is one of those mid-fielders Coach Stacey will look to convert to defense.

Another Gainesville product is Andrew Lovette. Lovette's older brother Joseph Lovette played on the 2006 national championship team and will be a senior in 2007. Andrew Lovette is a defender who was a four-year player at Cornerstone Academy where he helped his team win the Florida Christian Athletic League state championship his junior and senior year.

The final piece to this year's class is Kyle Marshall, a defender who played four years of varsity soccer at Winter Park High School in Winter Park, Fla.

Marshall helped guide his team to the state semifinals in 2006 and gives Coach Stacey plenty of depth on the defensive side of the ball heading into the 2007 season.

The Fire set a school record with 20 wins in 2006, and Head Coach Stacey has won two South Region titles and a national championship in his first three seasons at Southeastern.

SEU Wins 2006 NCCAA II Men's Soccer National Championship
(11-05-06)

KISSIMMEE--The Southeastern University men's soccer team won the NCCAA II National Championship, Saturday night, at Austin-Tindall Regional Park with a 1-0 victory over No. 2 seed Philadelphia Biblical University.

Ryan Rogers scored when he drilled a ball that deflected off a PBU defender. The ball went into the net for the only score of the game with 22:29 remaining.

From there on out, SEU dominated the ball possession and never gave the Crimson Eagles a good scoring chance the rest of the game.

Southeastern outshot PBU 19-15 for the game, but PBU had great scoring chances in the first half.

SEU goalie Bart Sheldrake played outstanding in net once again for the Fire; he made huge saves, keeping the game scoreless and giving the Fire a chance to win with just one goal. Sheldrake had two shutouts in the tournament.

PBU goalie Mattias van't Hoenderdaal also kept the Crimson Eagles in the game throughout; he robbed Rogers in front of the net in the first half when Rogers kicked a ball out of midair and looked to score a sure goal.

The Crimson Eagles surrendered only one goal in the tournament, and it cost them a national championship. The Crimson Eagles outscored their opponents 5-0 in two games before facing Southeastern in the championship game.

Southeastern was resilient on its way to the championship despite having one of the toughest roads to the title. First, SEU had to come from behind to defeat No. 4 seed Northland Baptist on penalty kicks Thursday night. Next, the Fire had to come right back the next day and face No. 1 seed Manhattan Christian College; SEU was up for the task and shut out the Crusaders, 1-0, Friday night.

SEU finishes the season with a 20-5 overall record, but more importantly, Southeastern had a 14-1 record versus NCCAA II opponents.

The Fire also received individual recognition as well. Jon Jones and Matt Steelfox were both named Second Team All-Americans while Robert Rivers was named a First Team All-American for the second straight season.

Rogers was named to the national all-tournament team while Rivers was named the national tournament's most valuable player.

Former Lake Gibson graduate and Fire Head Coach Drew Stacey was named the NCCAA II National Coach of the Year as Southeastern won the school's first national championship in men's soccer.

Stacey has a 44-21-2 overall record at Southeastern over the past three years along with two South Region titles, three 10-win seasons, and three top-10 finishes in the country. Stacey was named head coach in July 2004.

Fire Advances To NCCAA II National Championship Game
(11-03-06)

KISSIMMEE--The Southeastern University men's soccer team defeated No. 1 seed Manhattan Christian College, 1-0, at Austin-Tindall Regional Park, Friday night, to advance to the NCCAA II National Championship game.

The game was a defensive contest throughout, but with 11:05 left in the game Fire forward Ryan Kirk charged to the goal and sent a crossing pass to forward Jon Jones. Jones hammered the ball past Manhattan goalie David Ham, giving SEU the victory.

"I hadn't really tried to test my guy all game, and I knew I was faster than him so I just cut inside and saw Jonesy coming down the middle," said Kirk of his assist for the game-winning goal.

Southeastern and Manhattan Christian College both managed 11 shots apiece. But Lakeland's Bart Sheldrake helped keep the game scoreless and was a key player in Southeastern's victory.

The win sends SEU to its first national championship game appearance in school history.

The Fire came into the national tournament as the No. 5 seed despite having a 17-5 record and playing one of the strongest non-conference schedules in the tournament field.

The Fire also had a 11-1 record within its conference but found itself having to take a difficult road to the national championship game; the Fire almost did not get past No. 4 seed Northland Baptist, Thursday night.

After trailing 3-0 to Northland Baptist, SEU managed to rally and tie the game, forcing overtime. The Fire eventually won on penalty kicks, setting up the matchup with No. 1 seed Manhattan Christian College.

Since the miraculous comeback, the Fire has started to look like a team of destiny.

"Every night we have had nothing to lose, and I think that has been huge for us," said Fire Head Coach Drew Stacey.

But the road will not get any easier for the Fire as SEU will face No. 2 seed Philadelphia Biblical University in the national championship game. PBU defeated Cincinnati Christian University, 3-0, Friday night. PBU has not surrendered a goal in the tournament, outscoring its opponents 6-0 in the tournament.

But for the Fire, nothing has come easy all year long, including trying to overcome losing its team captain, Randy Kok; Kok broke his leg before the season ever started .

The Fire simply replied to Kok's injury by moving junior Jones to the forward position, and things have taken off nicely since; Jones broke the school's scoring record despite being an All-Region defender a year ago.

"A dangerous combination is a team with a chip on their shoulder with nothing to lose," added Coach Stacey.

The NCCAA II National Championship game will be played Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.

SEU Rallies From Huge Deficit To Defeat Northland Baptist

KISSIMMEE--After trailing 3-0 at halftime, the Southeastern University men's soccer team rallied to beat No. 4 seed Northland Baptist, 8-6, on penalty kicks in the first round of the NCCAA II National Tournament, Thursday night.

SEU's dreams of winning a national championship looked grim early on in the first half as Northland Baptist built a 3-0 lead and seemed to be in control of the game.

But George Arroyo got the Fire on the board at the 30:06 mark of the second half when he scored on a penalty kick, giving the Fire life and making the score 3-1.

But the Pioneers came right back, scoring another goal just two minutes after Arroyo's goal and looked to seal the Fire's fate.

However, the Fire never gave up, and its will was too strong to be denied tonight. Jon Jones got SEU right back in the game when he blasted a free kick past Northland Baptist goalie Joe Cable with 27:52 left to play, making the score, 4-2.

The momentum seemed to go SEU's way the rest of the game, and Ryan Kirk scored a huge goal on a break away with 22:17 remaining, cutting the Pioneers' lead to 4-3.

Then, just three minutes later, Ryan Rogers drilled a shot on goal, and Cable let a rebound in front of the net, which Matt Steelfox blasted into the goal. The goal tied the game 4-4.

The rest of the second half saw both teams exchanging good scoring chances, but the game ended in regulation, deadlocked at 4-4.

The Fire controlled the ball throughout the first overtime but could not score. The team suffered a severe loss when senior defender James Wentworth was given a red card and left SEU short a man heading into the second overtime.

The Pioneers were unable to capitalize on the extra-man advantage in the second overtime, and the game headed to penalty kicks as both teams played very cautiously, not wanting to make a mistake in the second overtime.

The Fire would kick first, and Arroyo gave SEU its first lead of the game on his second goal of the night.

But Northland Baptist's Nathan Chatfield would answer on his second goal of the game, and the game was once again tied, this time at 5-5.

Robert Rivers then got his turn for the Fire and netted a goal, giving SEU a 6-5 lead while Northland's David Weinand failed to score on his attempt; SEU remained ahead 6-5.

Next, Rogers sent a shot into the top right corner of the goal, giving SEU a 7-5 lead, but John Woodhall kept the Pioneers in the game with a huge goal, making the score 7-6.

SEU freshman Matt LoPresti then stepped up and lifted his kick over Cable's head, making the score 8-6 in favor of Southeastern. SEU could win the game if Northland Baptist failed to score on its next attempt.

Northland Baptist's Jeremy Barker then missed his attempt, and SEU won the game, 8-6; players and fans stormed the field in a crazy celebration. The win marks the second time the Fire made it to the NCCAA II Final Four in three years.

Southeastern will play No.1 seed Manhattan Christian College at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The winner will play in the NCCAA II National Championship game on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.

With the win, the Fire improved to 18-5 on the year.

Fire Blanks Ave Maria, 7-0
(10-27-06)

LAKELAND--There was no letdown for the Southeastern men's soccer team Thursday night as it defeated Ave Maria University, 7-0, improving to 16-5 on the year.

SEU won the South Region Tournament last weekend in Atlanta, and Thursday night's game was simply a warmup for the NCCAA II National Tournament next weekend in Kissimmee, Florida.

Ryan Kirk scored two goals for SEU while Robert Rivers, Kirk Carey, Vijay Chandra, Joseph Lovette, and J.C. Rivas all scored goals for the Fire.

Chandra added two assists while Lovette and Rivas both added assists on the night. Patrick Tidwell and Steven Hollenback contributed assists on the night as well.

Southeastern will host NAIA Northwood University on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

SEU WINS SOUTH REGION CHAMPIONSHIP!
(10-21-06)

ATLANTA--The Southeastern men's soccer team defeated defending South Region champions Toccoa Falls College, 2-0, Saturday to win the South Region Tournament for the second time in three years.

The game was tight throughout with both teams threatening in the first half including a penalty kick from Fire forward Jon Jones that was denied giving Toccoa Falls some important momentum early on.

But, the Fire defense helped keep the game scoreless in the first half and really dominated the game throughout.

Then, at the 9:21 mark of the second half Jamie Wentworth set up Southeastern forward, Matt Steelfox, on a redirected goal as SEU took a 1-0 lead.

"Jamie just served a ball over my head and it just landed on my foot and I redirected it into the goal," said Steelfox.

With the 1-0 lead, SEU did not lay back. The Fire continued to press as freshman Matt LoPresti charged to the net and drew a penalty kick with just 4:03 remaining in the game.

Junior, George Arroyo, then blasted the penalty kick home for the Fire all the offense that was needed to secure the regional championship.

Fire goalie Bart Sheldrake saved 10 shots as SEU out-shot Toccoa Falls 22-to-10.

"I actually thought it would be overtime," explained Sheldrake. "I was just praying it wouldn't go to penalty kicks."

With the victory Southeastern improves to 15-5 on the year and 11-1 in the South Region.

Fire Head Coach Drew Stacey was also named the 2006 South Region Coach of the Year as he led the Fire to their second South Region title in three years. SEU last won the South Region in 2004 and were upset in 2005 by Toccoa Falls College in the South Region Final Four.

"Hard work," said an excited Stacey. "I'm glad the game was won on hard work."

Fire defender, Robert Rivers, was named the 2006 South Region Player of the Year while six other SEU players were named First Team All-Region; Jamie Wentworth, Ryan Rogers, George Arroyo, Jon Jones, Matt Steelfox, and Bart Sheldrake.

Lakeland's Jacob Bloodworth was named to the region's second team along with Ryan Kirk.

Southeastern will now head to the NCCAA II National Tournament in Kissimmee, November 2-4, as tournament seedings will be announced this upcoming week.

Fire Advances To South Region Championship Game
(10-20-06)

ATLANTA, Ga.--The Southeastern men's soccer team defeated Piedmont Baptist College, 3-1, on Friday to advance to the South Region championship game on Saturday.

SEU, which is the No.1 seed in the tournament, led 1-0 at halftime as the Fire scored on an own goal assisted on by Ryan Rogers.

Piedmont Baptist tied the game on a penalty kick by Danny Connell with eight minutes remaining in the game. Piedmont seized the momentum and actually had the Fire on the ropes.

But, in the end, Southeastern was just too much for PBC.

Matt LoPresti set up Matt Steelfox for the game-winning goal for the Fire just two minutes after PBC tied the game up.

Jon Jones then scored his 18th goal of the season on a free kick late in the second half, putting the game away for the Fire.

SEU will now play No. 3 seed Toccoa Falls College on Saturday for the South Region championship.

Toccoa Falls defeated Clearwater Christian in double-overtime on Friday to advance to the championship game.

Toccoa Falls is the defending South Region champion, and the Eagles gave SEU its only region loss of the season earlier in the year.

Southeastern defeated Toccoa Falls, 3-1, in its last meeting on September 29.

The championship game will start at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Steelfox Earns National Player of the Week
(10-19-06)

LAKELAND--There has been a certain buzz around the Southeastern University men's soccer team lately, and why not? Things have been going very well for the Fire this season.

First, from September 15 through October 3, SEU won a school-record eight straight games. Next, SEU compiled a 9-1 record in the South Region, giving it the No.1 seed in this weekend's South Region Tournament. And finally, junior forward Jon Jones broke the school's goal-scoring record with 17 goals. These feats gave the Fire a season to remember even before regionals.

The good news kept coming Tuesday when Fire sophmore transfer Matt Steelfox was named NCCAA II National Player of the Week.

Steelfox also has broken the former school record for goals in a season with 15 goals.

Steelfox was named National Player of the Week for his play from October 9-15, in which he had two multi-goal scoring games versus NCCAA I schools Mount Vernon Nazarene and Faulkner University.

SEU is ranked No. 6 in the nation and has an overall record of 13-5 on the season.

Fire Continues To Roll
(10-16-06)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's soccer team continued to play well last weekend when the Fire defeated two NAIA colleges, Faulkner University and Mount Vernon Nazarene.

SEU defeated Faulkner University, 3-1, on Friday night. Matt Steelfox scored twice, and Ryan Kirk added the other Fire goal. Adding assists in the game were Matt LoPresti, Vijay Chandra, and John Peter Louine.

On Saturday, the Fire manged to defeat Mount Vernon Nazarene, 2-1, with two more goals coming from Steelfox, who now has 15 goals on the season.

Jon Jones leads the team this season with 17 goals, which is a school record. Steelfox, however, has been on a tear of late and now is in second place for most goals in a single season at SEU.

Southeastern is preparing for the South Region tournament this upcoming weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. The tournament is being hosted by Atlanta Christian College. The Fire is the No. 1 seed and will play Atlanta Christian College on Friday. SEU last won the South Region tournament in 2004.

Southeastern is now 13-5 on the year and has won 11 of its last 13 games on the season.

SEU Extends Winning Streak To Eight Games
(10-04-06)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University men's soccer team defeated Clearwater Christian, 3-0, Tuesday night to take sole position of first place in the South Region, and more importantly, lock up the number one seed in the upcoming South Region Tournament, October 20-21, in Atlanta.

SEU scored its first goal midway through the second half when goalkeeper Bart Sheldrake kicked a ball towards the Clearwater goal, and a misplay by the Cougar defense allowed the ball to sneak into the goal, giving the Fire a 1-0 lead. No one was credited for the goal.

Matt Steelfox and Jacob Bloodworth would add the other goals for the Fire. The game marked the first time SEU went 2-0 versus Clearwater in the regular season under Head Coach Drew Stacey. SEU has outscored Clearwater Christian 4-0 this season in two games.

Southeastern is now on an eight-game winning streak, which is a new school record for Southeastern men's soccer. The Fire is 10-3 on the season overall and 9-1 in the South Region.

Southeastern will host Warner Southern College on Friday at 7:00 p.m.

Fire sets new school record with seventh consecutive victory
(10-03-06)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern men's soccer team defeated defending South Region champion Toccoa Falls College, 3-1, Friday night to take over the sole position of first place in the South Region.

Then on Saturday, SEU defeated Atlanta Christian College, 4-0, to set a new school record for consecutive wins, with seven victories in a row.

Stephen Hollenbeck, Matt Steelfox, Ryan Kirk, and Kirk Carey all scored goals for the Fire, which outscored its opponents this weekend 7-1.

On Friday, Jon Jones, got SEU going early when he scored his team-leading thirteenth goal of the season at the nine-minute mark of the first half.

The Fire would add two more first-half goals from Carey and Steelfox, giving the Fire a 3-0 lead over the Eagles at halftime.

With the two victories this weekend, SEU improves to 9-3 overall on the season and 8-1 overall in the South Region.

The Fire's only loss in the South Region came to Toccoa Falls College, 2-1, in Toccoa Falls, Georgia, on September 9.

Fire Stays Hot, Shuts Out Clearwater Christian 1-0
(09-26-06)

CLEARWATER--Ryan Kirk scored the only goal of the game on a corner kick from Ryan Rogers, giving Southeastern University a 1-0 victory over Clearwater Christian College, Monday afternoon.

Clearwater Christian had been perfect in the South Region until the loss on Monday, and SEU now improves to 7-3 overall and 6-1 in the South Region.

SEU, Clearwater Christian, and Toccoa Falls College are all tied atop the South Region standings. Each team has one loss in the region on the year.

The Fire will host Toccoa Falls College on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Toccoa Falls defeated SEU, 2-1, on September 9.

Fire Defeats ACC, blanks Tennessee Temple

CHATTANOOGA, TN--For the Southeastern men's soccer team the rough start to the season seems to be a bygone era, as SEU defeated Atlanta Christian College and Tennessee Temple College this weekend, giving the Fire a four-game winning streak.

On Friday, the Fire dominated ACC with a 7-1 victory; SEU dominated the time of possession in the game and crashed the net for scoring opportunities. Connecting on goals were Joseph Lovette, Ryan Rogers, Kirk Carey, and Matt Steelfox.

Georgia native Jon Jones had two goals and two assists for the day, with Matt Ebanks netting just one goal and one assist.

The Fire stayed hot on Saturday, beating Tennessee Temple 7-0 once again with possession and hitting the net.

Steelfox had the best game of his career, scoring three goals for the hat trick. Jones pushed two goals into net, leaving him only three goals away from tying the school record for most goals in a single season.

Patrick Tidwell added a goal off of a corner kick, and Kirk added a goal and one assist.

SEU improves to 6-3 on the season and will host Clearwater Christian College on Monday, September 25, for a makeup game.

Between the pipes, Bart Sheldrake is credited with the shut-out.

Jones Named National Player of the Week
(09-20-06)

LAKELAND--Junior forward Jon Jones earned National Player of the Week honors for his performance last week as he helped the Southeastern University men's soccer team to a 2-1 record.

During the week Jones recorded four goals to give him 10 goals on the season.

Jones was moved to offense this year to help replace star forward Randy Kok who was lost for the season with a broken leg.

Jones scored SEU's only goal in a 2-1 loss to defending South Region champion Toccoa Falls College on September 9.

Then, last weekend Jones scored three goals in SEU's two victories over Tennessee Temple College and Piedmont Baptist College.

Fire Defeats Tennessee Temple, Pounds Piedmont Baptist
(09-19-06)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern men's soccer team improved its record to 4-3 on the season with two strong victories this weekend; the Fire outscored its two opponents 9-0 in the victories.

The Fire started its weekend with a compelling win, shutting down Tennessee Temple University, 3-0, on Friday afternoon.

In the first half, Jon Jones scored two first-half goals to give the Fire a 2-0 halftime lead.

During the second half, the Fire put the game out of reach when Jacob Bloodworth scored on an assist from Jones, giving SEU a 3-0 victory.

Evan Nickerson is credited with his first shutout of the season, along with Robert Rivers for his defensive work in the backfield.

To cap off the weekend, Southeastern continued its winning ways by defeating Piedmont Baptist College, 6-0, in convincing fashion, Saturday.

Boosting the offense were upperclassmen. Bloodworth continued to stay hot on the offensive side of the ball, scoring two goals in the game. George Arroyo and Jones both scored goals for the Fire while Matt LoPresti and John Peter Louine both added goals for the Fire.

Defensively, Nickerson saved five shots on goal and earned his second straight shutout on the season.

SEU hopes the momentum built from this weekend success will help the Fire Tuesday night when SEU faces off with regional rival Clearwater Christian, in Clearwater. Game time is at 5:30 p.m.

Fire Defeats Piedmont Baptist; Falls To Toccoa Falls
(09-11-06)

TOCCOA FALLS, Ga.--The Southeastern men's soccer team went 1-1 on its two-game road trip to North Carolina and Georgia this weekend for two tough South Region contests.

SEU shut out Piedmont Baptist, Friday night, 2-0 as the Fire started the game dominating time of possession.

Jon Jones opened the scoring midway into the first half, and Jacob Bloodworth scored the other SEU goal later in the half to secure the win for SEU.

Southeastern had many chances in the second half as well but could not convert despite playing most of the second half in PBC's half of the field.

George Arroyo and Ryan Kirk are credited with assists on the two goals, and Bart Sheldrake and the defense of Jamie Wentworth, Robby Rivers, Chad Braddock, and Vijay Chandra are credited with a shutout performance.

On Saturday, Southeastern got its first look at the defending South Region champion, Toccoa Falls College.

Jon Jones opened the scoring in the first half on an assist from Jamie Wentworth, giving SEU a 1-0 lead at the half.

In the second half, Toccoa Falls scored two goals while Southeastern had many opportunities to tie the game. The Fire, however, was unable to convert, and now SEU falls to 2-3 on the season and 1-1 in the South Region.

SEU will host Tennessee Temple on Friday at 5:00 p.m.

Fire Earns First Win of the Season Over Florida College
(09-05-06)

LAKELAND--It has been a difficult season so far for the Southeastern men's soccer team. First, the Fire lost team captain Randy Kok in mid-August with a broken leg, and then the Fire dropped its first two games of the season to two tough opponents: NAIA Union University and NCAA II Palm Beach Atlantic.

So entering Monday night's game with Florida College, the Fire needed a win in a bad way, and SEU delivered with a 6-2 trouncing of the Eagles.

Jacob Bloodworth helped boast the offense with three goals on the day. Jon Jones added another goal on the season and also dished out an assist on the day. Matt Steelfox also added a goal while Ryan Kirk also scored a goal on a penalty kick.

The Fire is now 1-2 on the season, but more importantly, the team is starting to gel despite the absence of Kok in the lineup.

The Fire will travel this weekend for two important South Region games in North Carolina and Georgia. SEU will face Piedmont Baptist College, Friday night, at 4:00 p.m. SEU will face off with defending South Region champion, Toccoa Falls College, on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Southeastern's next home game will be against Tennessee Temple University on Friday, September 15, at 5:00 p.m.

Fire Falls To Union University; Ernesto Cancels Northwood Game
(08-30-06)

LAKELAND--Southeastern University finally got to play its home opener under the light Monday night versus Union University, but the result was not what the Fire was looking for as it fell 7-2.

Southeastern's Jon Jones got the Fire on the board first on a penalty kick early in the first half, but Union responded quickly and took a 2-1 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Union scored the first goal of the second half, making the game 3-1, but Jones struck again for the Fire midway through the second half, making the score 3-2 in favor of Union.

Union then went on an absolute tear offensively from that point on, scoring four unanswered goals and putting the game away.

Southeastern's game with NAIA Northwood University was cancelled Wednesday due to Tropical Storm Ernesto. There has been no decision on whether the game will be made up.

Southeastern will host NCAA II Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.

Fire Season Opener Ruined By Severe Weather
(08-28-06)

LAKELAND--The night so many Southeastern soccer fans were waiting for was ruined this past Saturday night when severe weather rolled into the Lakeland area and led officials to cancel Southeastern's home opener under the lights versus NAIA Warner Southern.

The game started at 7:00 p.m. and about 20 minutes into the game a lightning bolt was spotted by officials, who suspended play. Both teams went to their locker rooms to wait out the storm to no avail; the severe weather and rain continued to pound the Southeastern campus.

The night was supposed to be a joyous celebration, for it was the first game to be played under the new lights at the Southeastern soccer complex. The lights were recently installed; Fire Head Coach Drew Stacey has scheduled eight games under the lights this year so players and fans can enjoy cooler temperatures at night.

There is no word whether the game will be made up.