For the first time since 2008, and only the second time in CCCB men's soccer history, the Saints are headed to the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division II national tournament.

By winning the Central Regional Championship on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Spurgeon College in the title game, the Saints earned automatic qualification to the NCCAA National Championships held Nov. 17-22 in Kissimmee, Fla. The national tournament field was announced today, and Central Christian will be the No. 5 seed in the eight-team field.

"It feels amazing to be able to bring our team back to the national tournament after so long" Central Christian head men's soccer coach Chase Gwynn said. "I've gotten to know a number of guys who were a part of the last tournament team, and it’s super exciting to follow in their footsteps."

The Saints, ranked No. 8 in the latest NCCAA DII coaches poll, will begin pool play on Monday, Nov. 17 against the No. 4 seed Boyce College at 6 p.m. Their second pool match will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 18, against No. 1 seed Toccoa Falls College at 2:30 p.m. Central Christian's final pool match will be on Thursday, Nov. 20, against No. 8 seed Southwestern Adventist University at 3:30 p.m. All games will be played at Austin-Tindall Sports Complex in Kissimmee. 

The Saints are fresh off back-to-back tournament titles, winning the Midwest Christian College Conference tournament 11 days ago in Haviland Kan., and most recently the NCCAA Central Regional championship held in Moberly.

The Saints entered last week's Central Regional Championship as the top seed, and defeated No. 4 seed Ozark Christian, 6-0, on Friday in the semifinals. Their victory over No. 3 seed Spurgeon in the title game gave them a perfect 10-0 record against Central Region opponents this season.

A year ago, Central went just 1-13-3, winning their final match of the season in the consolation match of the MCCC Tournament. It's a monumental improvement in just one season under Gwynn.

Central Christian enters this national tournament with a record of 16-2-2, which currently ranks second in program history for wins in a season and first in winning percentage in a season. In 2008, the Saints finished 19-8-0 after dropping all three matches at the national tournament.

The 2025 national tournament field is divided into two pools, and the Saints will have three pool play matches. The winners of the two pools will meet for the national championship on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m.

"We hope to show that we belong with the perennial top teams," Gwynn said. "The goal isn’t to be a once in a while competitor; the goal is to be here every year. God’s given us an opportunity to start that consistency, and if we play how we’re capable of then I firmly believe we have a chance at success."

All national tournament information can be found on the NCCAA website. 

It has been a year of firsts for the Central Christian College of the Bible men's soccer program.

Although they finished the conference regular season with a tie, the 2025 season is the first time the Saints have navigated the Midwest Christian College Conference slate without a loss, thus securing the program's second league title in the sport.

The lone MCCC championship in CCCB men's soccer history was in 2008, and the Saints had to share it as co-champions with Manhattan Christian College. This time, it's all theirs.

And new to the list, an MCCC Tournament championship for the first time in program history following last weekend's pair of wins in Haviland, Kan., to secure the title.

Now the Saints, ranked No. 8 in the latest National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division II Men's Soccer Coaches Poll, have their sites set on the Central Regional Championships, where the semifinals and finals take place at CCCB beginning Thursday, Nov. 6.

Central Christian is the top seed and faces fourth-seeded Ozark Christian College at 12 p.m. on Thursday. The other semifinal match features second-seeded Barclay College taking on third-seeded Spurgeon College at 2:30 p.m.

The championship match will take place on Friday at 2:30 p.m.

The Saints have been perfect against all Central Region opponents. They defeated Ozark Christian twice on the season, both times by scores of 2-1. The latest win against the Ambassadors was in the semifinals of the MCCC Tournament last Friday.

Central Christian topped Barclay, 2-1, back on Sept. 30, and defeated Spurgeon, 3-2, on Oct. 28. They beat Union Adventist University, who was eliminated from the tournament on Tuesday in a loss to OCC, by scores of 6-1 and 2-0.

The winner of the Central Region will advance to the NCCAA DII National Tournament in Kissimmee, Fla., from November 17-22.

Central Christian College of the Bible welcomes all fans and supporters to a special day, Saints Rally Day, which takes place Saturday, October 25, on the CCCB campus.

All four sports (Women's Volleyball, Men's Soccer, Women's Basketball, and Men's Basketball) are in action that day. Things will kick off with a front-yard cookout featuring burgers and hot dogs at 12 p.m. Each sport will honor past CCCB teams, and throughout the day, items will be auctioned to support the athletic programs. 

Following the cookout at noon, women's volleyball kicks off the game action when they take on Emmaus at 1 p.m. Men's Soccer also takes on Emmaus at 3:30 p.m., followed by Women's Basketball scrimmaging CMU junior varsity at 5:30 p.m., and Men's Basketball scrimmaging a group of CCCB Alumni at 6:30 p.m.

The cost is $20 for the meal and passes to all four games. A two-person pass is $35, and $60 for an entire family. All registrants will also receive a Lil' Herald plush figure.

To register, visit: https://cccb.edu/news-events/SaintsRally.