LA GRANDE, Ore. – The NCU men's soccer team is headed to the post-season for the first time in school history, despite coming out on the losing end of a 3-2 clash with Eastern Oregon University on Friday afternoon.
 
A number of losses lower in the standings on Friday assured that NCU will be one of the eight teams headed to Eugene for the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament beginning on November 3. It is NCU's first trek to any post season action since being added as a collegiate sport in 2006.
 
Head Coach Benny Flores said, "I am really excited for the boys. They set a goal at the beginning of the season, to be the first NCU men's team to make the playoffs. For our seniors, it is end to a long journey. They have played through the lean times and to have it end like this for them is extremely rewarding. The boys have stayed together as a team all season and are excited to see what they can do in the post season."
 
After falling behind 3-0 to the Mounties, the Beacons did all they could to try and earn their post-season bid on their own, scoring a pair of late goals to make it close.
 
NCU was awarded a penalty kick after Sanad Elghanai was tackled from behind in the box in the 70th minute. Elghanai got the call and scored the PK to help the Beacons avoid the shutout.
 
Things got interesting in the 83rd minute when Victor Irechukwu scored, but NCU wouldn't find the net again.
 
Eastern Oregon (8-7-1, 5-6-1 CCC) finished the game out-shooting the Beacons 16-10 including a 7-6 edge in shots-on-goal.
 
Picked by the conference coaches to finish 11th, the Beacons (6-7-2, 6-4-2 CCC) have a chance to end the season as high as fourth, depending on how all of the games play out on Saturday during the final day of the regular season. NCU owns 20 points in the CCC standings and is currently seated fifth, two points behind Northwest University in fourth. Only two points separate the Beacons from the three teams behind them, meaning NCU could also end up as low as eighth.