Scorpions ready to play in NAIA national tournament for first time

The soccer season wouldn't be considered a success had the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Scorpions not made it to the NAIA playoffs.

The Scorpions (15-4) have won back-to-back Red River Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and now they want more in the playoffs.

That opportunity presents itself at 4:30 p.m. today as UTB-TSC plays at the University of Mobile (Ala.) in the opening round of the 31-team NAIA National Tournament.

While this season marks just the second year of soccer for the Scorpions, the Rams (11-6-2) are playing in the national tournament for the 12th time. They won the NAIA title in 2002, made it to the championship match in 1994 and 1999 and reached the final four in 1997 and 2000. This season, they tied for the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference title under veteran coach Peter Fuller (307-111-28).

"Mobile is obviously a good team, an experienced team that is used to winning," UTB-TSC coach Dan Balaguero said. "They are solid all over the park.

"Most importantly for us, we must focus for 90 minutes, or 110 if necessary in overtime, give nothing away, and all we need is one chance (to score)," he added. "We are a much stronger team than this time last year, not only with better quality, we are much stronger mentally."

The Scorpions own a 10-game winning streak and have shut out 10 of their 19 opponents to rank in the top 10 nationally in NAIA.

"We have to maintain our level of confidence," said Brian Hardie, UTB-TSC's junior central defender who recently was named RRAC defensive player of the year. "We should have nothing to fear. I am truly confident in my guys. We have been really solid in the back this year, and teams have really found it hard to score on us. If Nando (Fernando Mendoza) and the forwards can get us an early goal, then I feel we will be able to build on that and leave Alabama with a win."

A victory Saturday advances the Scorpions to the NAIA quarterfinals Dec. 1 through 6 at Fresno, Calif., where they would go against either Dana College (Neb.) or St. Ambrose (Iowa).

Roy Hess writes for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him via e-mail at rhess@brownsvilleherald.com.