The 2025 NCCAA Division II Men's Soccer All-Americans were announced on Saturday with Central Christian College of the Bible's Baraka Grodya and Jake Gracey making the list.

Grodya, a freshman midfielder from Hickman High School in Columbia, was named First Team All-American, while Gracey, the freshman goalkeeper from Rathfriland, Northern Ireland, was a named Second Team All-American.

Grodya, who was also named the Central Region Player of the Year prior to the national tournament, ended the season with nine goals scored and six assists. 

Gracey was a first team all-region selection as well. He finished the year leading all of NCCAA Division II with a 0.62 goals against average to go along with seven shutouts.

The Saints finished 17-4-2 after advancing to the NCCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship in Kissimmee, Fla., for the second time in program history. They knocked off the defending runner-up Boyce College, 3-2, on the first day of the tournament before losing their final two matches to keep them out of title match contention.

Boaz DaSilva of national champion Pensacola Christian College was named the NCCAA National Player of the Year, while Nathan Lowry of Toccoa Falls College was named the Select Coach of the Year. 

First Team All-Americans
GK: Logan Werschem - Grace Christian University
D: Boaz DaSilva - Pensacola Christian College
D: Mondo Coulter - Boyce College
D: Jake Martinez - Randall University
M: Bucky Provenzano - Bob Jones University
M: Baraka Grodya - Central Christian College of the Bible
M: Jacobo Ariza - Grace Christian University
F: Jackson Clarke - Pensacola Christian College
F: Jensen Harbaugh - Alice Lloyd College
F: Patrico Bennevendo - Toccoa Falls College
F: Ben Sowers - Boyce College

Second Team All-Americans
GK: Jake Gracey - Central Christian College of the Bible
D: Luis Sarabia - Alice Lloyd College
D: Aaron Jones - Maranatha Baptist University
D: Ian Naughton - Faith Baptist Bible College
M: Dylan Moore - Alice Lloyd College
M: Samir Vieria Siqueira - Pensacola Christian College
M: Parker Lundberg - Faith Baptist Bible College
F: Pedro Ribeiro - Maranatha Baptist University
F: Austin Lundberg - Faith Baptist Bible College
F: Maddux Camden - Alice Lloyd College
F: Israel Pina - Southwestern Adventist University

About the NCCAA
Established in 1968, the National Christian College Athletic Association uses intercollegiate athletics to further the Great Commission and is committed to equipping student-athletes and coaches to make a positive impact for Christ. The NCCAA currently holds 23 national championship events, along with one national invitational for 88 member schools across 28 states and two Canadian provinces. For more information on the NCCAA, visit our website, thenccaa.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram at @thenccaa.

The Saints were not able to keep their unbeaten streak alive as top seed Toccoa Falls College put in a goal in each half to top Central Christian College of the Bible, 2-0, on Tuesday, the second day of the 2025 NCCAA DII Men's Soccer Championships at the Austin-Tindall Sports Complex.

Combined with the results from the other matches in Pool A, Toccoa Falls (13-4-3) secured their spot in Saturday's national title game despite the outcome of Thursday's matches. 

Central Christian (17-3-2) could still finish the championships with a third-place finish depending on the outcome of their game with No. 3 seed Southwestern Adventist University on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

GAME NOTES:

• Just five minutes into the match, Edwin Gonzales had a chance to put Toccoa Falls on top, but a diving stop by Lucas Carmo knocked the ball out of play to keep the match scoreless.
• In the 27th minute, Patricio Bennevendo found Hector Tenorio in the box, and Tenorio got just enough space to lace a shot past the CCCB defense and put the Screaming Eagles ahead 1-0.
• Zach Madrigal looked to add to the Toccoa Falls tally in the 30th minute, but a nice save at the last second by Jake Gracey kept the score 1-0 at the half.
• Richard Freitas looked to open the second half with a tying strike for Central Christian College of the Bible, but a big save from Brandon Huerta kept the Saints off the scoreboard in the 46th minute.
• Zackary Hathaway had a pair of breakaway chances for the Saints in the 66th minute, but his shots went just wide, and again CCCB could not quite capitalize.
• In the 75th minute, Zach Madrigal had a chance to add to the Toccoa Falls advantage, but his shot went just high and the Screaming Eagles lead stayed at 1-0.
• With under four minutes remaining, Carmo had a chance to add a goal for the Saints, but a fingertip save from Huerta kept Toccoa Falls in front.
• Bennevendo iced the contest for the Eagles, as his strike with less than two minutes remaining pushed Toccoa Falls to the 2-0 victory.

UP NEXT:

The Saints, seeded fifth, face Southwestern Adventist in the final day of Pool Play on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. The game can be streamed via purchase at nccaanetwork.com/. Live stats are available for free at https://thenccaa.org/sidearmstats/msoc/summary.

STANDINGS: 

Following the second day of competition, Pool A's standings are as follows:

KEY
Win= 3 points
Tie= 1 point
Loss= 0 points
WLT= Wins-Losses-Ties
PTS= Points
GS= Goals Scored
GA= Goals Against
GD= Goal Differential

Three second half goals propelled the Saints to their first-ever national tournament win, a 3-2 victory over Boyce College, at the 2025 NCCAA DII Men's Soccer Championships in Pool Play on Monday evening at the Austin-Tindall Sports Complex.

In their first appearance at the national tournament since 2008, the fifth-seeded Saints scored all three goals in the second half and never trailed. With the win, Central Christian pushed its unbeaten streak to 17 straight matches.

After a scoreless first half, Central Christian (17-2-2) earned their first corner kick opportunity, and Richard Freitas placed a perfect ball to Israel Cobian, as the Saints scored the first goal of the contest in the 68th minute.

Boyce's Noah Lund would not allow the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (7-6-1) to go down quietly, as he scored his first goal in almost two years on a laser from outside the box to tie the contest 1-1 in the 78th minute.

Just 119 seconds later, Central Christian's Gage Walker found himself open in the box shortly after the Saints' second corner kick, and snuck it past the Boyce defense for 2-1 lead in the 80th minute.

Lucas Carmo added an insurance goal for the Saints in the 88th minute after a ball deflected out of the box and he poked it over the head of the keeper to put CCCB in front, 3-1, with just over three minutes left.

Boyce added one final tally with 53 seconds left to trim the lead to 3-2, but the Bulldogs would not record another shot as the Saints held on for the win.

Central Christian's win is fitting, as it comes 17 years to the day of their last appearance in the NCCAA DII Men's Soccer National Championship. The Saints lost all three matches in 2008 and finished eighth.

Central Christian now quickly turns their attention to the second day of Pool Play when they take on top-seeded Toccoa Falls College on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. The game can be streamed via purchase at nccaanetwork.com/. Live stats are available for free at https://thenccaa.org/sidearmstats/msoc/summary.

In the other games on Monday, three matches were decided by one goal and a goal in the final seconds preserved the lone tie of the day, as Toccoa Falls and No. 3 seed Pensacola Christian College also picked up wins, while second-seeded Alice Lloyd College and No. 7 seed Faith Baptist Bible College played to a 2-2 draw.

Following the first day of competition, Pool A's standings are as follows:

KEY
Win= 3 points
Tie= 1 point
Loss= 0 points
WLT= Wins-Losses-Ties
PTS= Points
GS= Goals Scored
GA= Goals Against
GD= Goal Differential