MCKENZIE, Tenn.- Rocky Men's Soccer begins its seventh trip to the NAIA National Tournament on Thursday afternoon, taking on Union Commonwealth of Kentucky. 

Matchup at a Glance

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Rocky Mountain College (8-2-7) vs Union Commonwealth (13-2-4)
Thursday, November 19th - 12:00 pm (MT) / 1:00 pm (CT)
McKenzie, Tennessee (Hosted by Bethel University (Tenn.)

Game Notes

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National Rankings
The Battlin' Bear offense has been the focal point of their success this season, ranking 26th in the NAIA, averaging 2.71 goals per game. David Russell, the CCC Offensive Player of the Year, totaled 13 goals this season, with Lorenzo Klamler following with 10 goals scored. Unselfish ball movement has also been key, with Rocky ranking 20th in assists with 43 this season. 

Defensively, Biruk Paulos-Negatu ranks 37th in the NAIA with a save percentage of .774 in his eight starts to conclude the year. The Battlin' Bear defense in front of him ranked 62nd this season, allowing just 1.29 goals per game. 

Always In It

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Rocky's CCC Tournament Semifinal loss to eventual tournament champions Warner Pacific was just the second loss of the season for the Battlin' Bears, recording an unbeaten streak of 12 games, spanning nearly two months of the season. Rocky's resilience against tough opponents kept them in contests, which will be key for their postseason run. 

Tournament History

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Rocky Men's Soccer holds a NAIA National Tournament record of 2-7-2 in its six previous qualifying seasons. All six of their qualifying bids were made between 2012 and 2020. Twice, the Battlin' Bears have advanced to the NAIA Final Site Quarterfinals, coming in 2015 and 2018. 

Scouting the Bulldogs

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Rocky's first round matchup will come against the Union Commonwealth University Bulldogs, from Barbourville, Kentucky. The Bulldogs earned an Automatic Qualifying Bid after winning the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament Championship with a 1-0 victory over Milligan in the championship match. This season marks the fifth bid in their program history, holding an NAIA National Tournament record of 2-3-2. 

Union Commonwealth ranked first in the NAIA this season in defense, allowing just five goals and averaging 0.28 goals allowed per game. Union Commonwealth also led the NAIA in shutouts, totaling 15 this season. Offensively, they averaged 1.79 goals scored per game and ranked sixth in the NAIA in corner kick opportunities with 128. 

Leading their defensive charge is graduate senior goalkeeper Gabriel Mendoza, who led the NAIA in save percentage, saving .911 of shots faced this season. Sophomore midfielder Ron-Jay Watson was the leader offensively, ranking fourth in the AAC with 17 points, totaling six goals and five assists this season. The Bulldogs boast four players with four or more goals scored this season. 

The winner of Thursday's contest will move on to play host school Bethel (Tenn.) on Saturday.