King opens NCCAA Mid-East Region with Tenn. Temple

BRISTOL, Tenn. - King College will start the 2010 NCCAA Division I Mid-East Region Men's Soccer Tournament Thursday at home against Tennessee Temple University in a 3 p.m. meeting as the Tornado enter the postseason with the No. 3 seed in the region, as announced by region officials.

King, at 5-11-1, will welcome Tennessee Temple, the event's No. 6 seed, to Parks Field for Thursday's opening round. In the other opening-round match Mid-Continent (Ky.) University, the No. 5 seed, travels to Oakland City (Ind.) University, the No. 4 seed.

The Tornado ended the regular season Saturday with a 2-0 win at North Greenville (S.C.) University. In King's first season as a NCAA Division II member the team were overtaken nine times by a single goal. Overall the Tornado outscored opponents 29-23 at the end of the day. Four of King's wins were at home and in nine contests at Parks Field, the Tornado outscored foes 23-12.

Tennessee Temple ended the regular season at 4-13. Despite the record, three of the team's wins came away from home in 2010. All three of the wins came in a streak from Sept. 21 to Oct. 14 before a three-game skid at home brought the regular season to an end. Opponents shut out Tennessee Temple 11 times this season. In the 13 defeats, Tennessee Temple was outscored a combined 74-2. In the four wins, Tennessee Temple's margin was 16-4.

The two opening round victors advance to the semifinals on Nov. 19 at top-seed Covenant (Ga.) College. The winner of the King-Tennessee Temple contest will play Campbellsville (Ky.) University, the No. 2 seed. The semifinal winners play on Nov. 20 in Covenant.

The region seeds were based on the team's longo points at the end of the regular season.

Campbellsville and Mid-Continent are still playing in their respective conference tournaments this week. A conference championship for either or both Campbellsville and Mid-Continent would shake up the region bracket. Campbellsville has a semifinal contest in the Mid-South Conference tournament on Wednesday. Mid-Continent will play as the No. 2 seed in the TranSouth Conference Tournament on Tuesday.

In the 2009 NCCAA Mid-East Regional, King, the No. 3 seed, lost in overtime 3-2 to Covenant in a semifinal meeting.

The winner of the region tournament earns an automatic bid to the NCCAA Division I Men's Soccer National Tournament in Kissimmee, Fla., Dec. 1-4.

Mid-East Region Seeds (2010 Regular Season Records)

No. 1 Covenant (13-6)

No. 2 Campbellsville (14-4)

No. 3 King (5-11-1)

No. 4 Oakland City (9-7)

No. 5 Mid-Continent (8-9-1)

No. 6 Tennessee Temple (4-13)

(NCCAA Stat Rankings - as of Nov. 9)