PORTLAND | For the first time in over a decade, the Warner Pacific University Men's Soccer team (15-2-1, 11-1-1) has earned a piece of the Regular Season Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship Title by playing to a draw with the Oregon Tech Owls (15-1-1, 11-1-1) Saturday night in front of the WPU faithful. With the draw and tiebreaker win per the CCC office, Warner Pacific picks up the #1 seed in the upcoming Conference Tournament, and more importantly, earns the Automatic Qualifier from the CCC to punch their ticket into the National Playoffs.

With Senior Day festivities to start the day, Knights' Head Coach Troy Ready knew this would be an amazing opportunity to witness history for Warner Pacific. "It was an incredibly special night that our players and staff will remember for the rest of their lives. The story couldn't be more perfect. To clinch as conference champions at home, on senior night was incredible," Ready shared.

"We are thankful to have earned this #1 seed heading into the conference tournament, as well as the automatic qualification for nationals. I cannot articulate with words how much I love these young men, and how proud I am to be their coach," Ready went on to say.

The Knights and Owls knew the stakes heading into tonight's matchup, and it showed in the first half of tonight's game. With only 6 total shots by both teams, each one dared the other to take the necessary risks to strike first, which Oregon Tech ultimately found in the 62^nd minute.

Owls' forward Anthony Santillan broke a scoreless tie off an assist from midfielder Cade O-Neill, forcing the Knights into a corner they have not faced on many occasions this season. The Owls, only allowing 4 goals all season long up until this point, seemed to be in a comfortable position with less than 30 minutes remaining in this championship matchup.

However, exactly 8 minutes later in the 70^th minute, the Bahena Brothers teamed up to do what they do best. With the Knights on a breakaway play up the field, senior forward Arturo Bahena found his brother and midfielder Christian Bahena on a line towards Owls' goalkeeper Joel Witts. With only one defender to beat, Christian turned on the gas and dribbled right past his adversary, leaving just Witts to beat. With Witts coming out of the goal to make it a more difficult shot, Christian took advantage of Witts fearing an upper corner goal shot, and put it right between Witts' legs for the seamlessly easy goal.

The only other opportunity that made anyone there tonight raise from their seat in anticipation was in the 105^th minute of double overtime, when Oregon Tech forward Jake Mitchell was set to take a penalty kick against Knights' goalkeeper Alexis Calderilla-Hurtado. With the pressure of a solo championship crown on the line, Mitchell's shot veered wide, hitting the left goal-post and going out of bounds, and thus with it, ending any possibility for this game to finish in anything but a draw.

After earning the #1 conference tournament seed, the Knights look to defend their crown on November 9^th in the first round of the CCC Tournament. The opponent and schedule will be announced once the conference has determined seeding and matchups at a later date.