DECATUR, Ala. - [Bracket | Box Score] Bethel University (Ind.) are the 64th Annual NAIA Men's Soccer National Champions, defeating Mobile (Ala.) by a score of 3-1. Luan Bressy scored his 21^st and 22^nd goals of the season including six game winners. The fourth-seeded Pilots end the season with a 24-1-1 mark and defeated the Rams, the No. 3 team in the tournament. 

Bethel was playing in their first national championship game in program history while the Rams were looking to avenge their loss in the final match of the 2021 NAIA National Championships. The Pilots ended their season winning 22 straight matches with 67 goals scored and only 14 conceded including a 13-3 differential in the NAIA National Tournament. Last season, Mobile was on the wrong side of a 2-nil score in the match against Keiser (Fla.)

Playing on a wet pitch, rain fell from the sky throughout the entirety of the match, with the most intense rain falling in the last third of the contest. The first two attempts of the game came off the foot of Peiro Sabroso with both falling off target. The second chance by the Pilots took advantage of the clearance off the head of the Mobile, but Luan Bressy took one touch before going low and away, sneaking inside the left post.

Three minutes later, as Rams keeper Ty Turner went outside the box to attack the lead pass from Tim Noeding, Bressy dodged past the goalie to secured the brace for the match at the 11:41 mark. This contest was the second time all season in which the Rams trailed by two goals with the first occurring in the Southern States Conference Tournament Final.

Mobile recorded their first shot on goal at the 26:10 mark of the match as Lucas Ros shot was saved by the Bethel goalie. Back-to-back corner kicks by UM enabled Sebastian Jorgge to threaten with a score, but the ball ricocheted off the crossbar. Finn Popescu tallied his second save of the first 45 when Jorgge’s free kick from 30 yards out at 36:55

At the intermission, Bethel led 5-4 in total shots while both teams were tied with a pair of shots on goal; Mobile led 2-1 in corner kicks taken and neither team was called for offside in the period.

The second shot taken in the second half by the Pilots gave the squad a 3-0 advantage as Noeding tallied his second helper of the match to feed Sabroso for the score. Toay’s championship match was the first time all season the Rams had trailed by three goals but were right away given a lifeline as a foul was called on Eduardo Da Silva in the box at 60:16. Jorgge stepped up to ball and coolly placed the PK attempt into the left netting as Popescu dove the opposite direction.

After UM goalie Turner went to clear the ball away, he made contact with Bethel’s Andre Sabino, and was ultimately called for a foul; during the resulting PK attempt, the Rams keeper made up for it by diving the correct way blocking the shot and preserving the 3-1 count with 18 minutes to go. No offensive chances were taken by either team in the next 11 minutes following the PK sequence until Turner made his second incredible save at 82:33, rejecting Bressy’s fourth attempt of the match. Mobile’s last gasp came on a corner kick in the 89^th minute where Angel Almiron flick off his head was saved by Popescu.

2022 NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team

Outstanding Defensive Player Award: Gabriel Pacheco, Bethel University (Ind.)

Outstanding Offensive Player Award: Tim Noeding, Bethel University (Ind.)

Most Valuable Player: Tim Noeding, Bethel University (Ind.)

Team Sportsmanship Award: Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.)