Biola men’s soccer made history on Saturday when they were named co-champions of the PacWest conference after their victory against Holy Names. The Eagles’ share of the conference title with Dominican marks the first ever PacWest title in the history of the Biola men’s soccer program. The men’s soccer team also out-qualified Dominican for a postseason bid and will compete in the Regional tournament. 

The Eagles entered conference play without a single win in the preseason after competing in difficult matches against nationally ranked teams. They finished with a 7-0-3 conference record with a .850 conference winning percentage and a first-place finish. 

ALL IT TAKES IS ONE

The Eagles defeated Holy Names 1-0, continuing their shutout streak. Sophomore defender Jakob Schnitzler assisted the game-winning goal to redshirt senior midfielder Theo Le Calve in the match’s fourth minute. Le Calve’s lone goal proved to be more than enough for the consistently stellar Eagles defense. Redshirt junior goalkeeper JD Gunn recorded a pair of clutch saves as well as  his seventh shutout of the season. Defenders Isaac Zausch, Haiko Hovak and Schnitzler helped Gunn keep Holy Names scoreless on the defensive front. 

The Eagles’ postseason fate is certain, but their opponent is in question. Biola will watch the NCAA DII selection show on Nov. 7 at 3:30 p.m. PST in anticipation of where they will play next. The Eagles will compete in the DIII Regional tournament for the second straight year after losing to Cal Poly Pomona in 2021.