FRESNO, Calif. -- Perfection. The Lindsey Wilson College men's soccer program can boast perfection when they take to Ramirez Field on Saturday in the NAIA National Championship match.
Each time the Blue Raiders have walked onto the pitch in the national tournament's final match, they have left champions. Seven matches, seven championships.
But Lindsey Wilson coach Ray Wells and his 2009 Blue Raiders understand those seven wins mean very little on Saturday when they face The Master's (Calif.) College at 5 p.m. CT.
"We've been here before and we've had a lot of success," Wells said. "We're excited for the history of the school and for the kids we have now. The Master's is strong and they will present a strong challenge.
"We're excited to be back in the national championship match and look forward to Saturday."
The top-seeded Blue Raiders -- making their 17th national championship appearance -- play the role of Goliath on Saturday against a Mustang team that will play their 11th all-time game in the tournament. The Master's is 7-1-2 all-time at the NAIA's
Lindsey Wilson is 39-9-4 at the national tournament all-time. A win will tie the Blue Raiders for the second most wins -- with Simon Fraser (B.C.) University -- in the NAIA Tournament's history and just one behind Quincy (Ill.) University's all-time total of 41.
The Blue Raiders (19-2-1) enter the match winners of 11 straight. Lindsey Wilson has outscored its opponents 48-2 during the winning streak, including nine shutouts. LWC defeated Simon Fraser 3-0 in the semifinals on Friday to advance.
No. 15-seed The Master's (20-2-2) enters on a 10-match unbeaten streak following Friday's tie with the University of Rio Grande (Ohio). The Mustangs advanced into the finals 7-6 on penalty kicks.
Neither team has lost since mid-October.
Saturday's match is the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. CT at Ramirez Field.
Lindsey Wilson's game, as well as the entire NAIA National Championship, can be watched live on a pay-per-view basis from the NAIA. A single-day pass costs $9.95, while an all-tournament pass is $24.95.
Click here to sign-up for the live stream from the NAIA.
Click here to watch live stats.
