Master’s Edged Out of NAIA Soccer Playoffs

The Master’s College soccer team’s run through the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics championships came to an abrupt end Wednesday, even though the Mustangs did not play a match.

West Virginia Wesleyan (18-1-3), the defending national champion and top-seeded team in the tournament, defeated William Carey (Miss.), 5-0, at Patch Reef Park to win Pool A of the 12-team tournament and will advance to Friday’s semifinals against fifth-seeded Lander (S. C.).

Wesleyan and Master’s, which tied, 1-1, Monday, each had a 1-0-1 record in pool play, but the Bobcats advanced to the semifinals on the basis of total goals allowed.

Wesleyan allowed one goal in two matches, and 12th-seeded Master’s (10-10-4) allowed two.

“I’m really disappointed right now,” Master’s Coach Mark Schubert said. “We came out here and tied the defending national champion and trounced the other team in our pool, and yet we’re out of the tournament. Every other team that got eliminated lost at least one match, except us.”

The Mustangs, who had defeated eighth-seeded William Carey, 5-1, Tuesday, advanced to the NAIA tournament for the first time with a 3-2 shoot-out victory over Westmont in the District 3 championship at Master’s on Nov. 10.

“We had a great tournament,” Schubert said. “But we came here looking to win it. It’s frustrating to go unbeaten but not go on. . . . There is no easy way to handle it, but there is no shame in what happened.”

The Mustangs’ elimination ended the collegiate careers of forwards Chris Palm and Randy Whitfield, midfielder Jorge Barba, defenders Rick Abasial and Russ Spencer, and goalie Allan Bowden.

Palm, who scored four goals in the NAIA tournament and a team-high 20 goals this season, and Bowden were All-District 3 selections. Whitfield was a second-team pick.