Men's Soccer: Knights Head to National Championship for First Time in 32 Years

By Rocco Geppi

Wichita, Kan. -- The Knights will play today in their first national championship game since 1989, after a 3-2 comeback victory yesterday against Heartland in the semifinals of the NJCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championships at the Stryker Sports Complex. 

CCBC Essex faces Southeastern at 5 p.m., as the Knights eye their first national championship in nearly 47 years. 

Takeroh Murakawa (Hyogo, Japan) scored the game-winner - his team leading 10th of the season - for the Knights in the 87th minute. 

Goalkeeper Brendan LeMaster (Bowie, Md.) finished the game with five saves, three in the second half. 

Heartland tallied the first goal of the game in the 12th minute off a penalty kick. 

The Knights (11-1) Henry Ortiz (Mt. Airy, Md.) answered in the 30th minute on a rebound, after Heartland's keeper could not corral a free kick shot by Marvin Martinez (Riverdale, Md.), taken just outside the box. 

Six minutes later, the Hawks (11-1) jumped back on top and took a 2-1 lead into the break. 

Kota Tsuchisawa (Tochigi, Japan) tied the game in the 60th minute on a penalty kick.

"We never doubted ourselves the whole time," head coach Joe Fiedler said in an interview with WMAR News Channel 2. "We got down, we continued to grind. That's kind of been out motto all year."

It remained tied for the next 27 minutes, when Murakawa buried a free kick from 27 yards out to put the Knights ahead.

"It didn't shock me that we came back. They showed their grit and heart."

The defense did its job over the final three minutes. 

Despite heavy pressure from the Hawks, Essex allowed just one shot over that span.

"We're the Little Engine that could," LeMaster said on WMAR News Channel 2. "We just keep plugging away, no matter how it looks. We know we can't give up, no matter what." 

This is the fifth time under Fiedler that the Knights have qualified for the NJCAA national tournament. 

CCBC Essex seeks to become the first NJCAA Division II champions, as prior to this season the association sponsored just Divisions I and III levels. 

To watch the national championship game, visit https://portal.stretchinternet/njcaa/ or follow us on Twitter @CCBCEssexSports as we live tweet the action.