Mayfield, Ky. – Mid-Continent University has received an at-large bid to play in the 2009 National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA) Division I National Men’s Soccer Tournament, December 2-5, at the Austin-Tindall Soccer Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. The field includes six regional champions and two at-large selections, and all eight teams will play three matches in four days.

Mid-Continent (6-5-5), the number two seed, meets number seven seed Indiana Wesleyan University (9-10-1), the NCCAA Midwest Region champion and defending NCCAA national champion, at 12 noon eastern time, Wednesday, Dec. 2, in the first match of the tournament.

MCU lost its NCCAA Mideast Regional semifinal to Oakland City University of Indiana, 1-0, on Nov. 20, but its strength of schedule, including ties against defending NAIA champion and the NAIA’s top-ranked team Bethel College (Tenn.) and nationally-ranked McKendree University (Ill.), carried the Cougars into the tournament. MCU placed third at last season’s NCCAA National Tournament and won the tournament in 2005 and placed second in 2001, and fourth in 2004.

Number three seed Mount Vernon Nazarene University (15-6-2) from Ohio, the NCCAA Eastern Region champion, meets number six seed Covenant College from Georgia (11-5-2), the NCCAA Mideast Region champion at 2:30 p.m. eastern time, Wednesday, Dec. 3. Covenant won its region with wins over Oakland City and King College (Tenn.) at Mid-Continent University’s Cougar Soccer Complex, Nov. 20-21.

The winner of the Dec. 2 Mid-Continent vs. Indiana Wesleyan match faces the winner of the Mount Vernon Nazarene vs. Covenant match in a championship semifinal at 2:30 p.m. eastern time, Thursday, Dec. 3, and the losers of the two matches meet in a consolation semifinal at 12 noon, Dec. 3.

Olivet Nazarene University (15-7-0), from Bourbonnais, Illinois, an at-large entrant and number one seed, kicks off against number eight seed Mid-America Christian University (10-8-1) from Oklahoma, the NCCAA Central Region champion, at 5:00 p.m. eastern time, Wednesday, Dec. 2. Olivet Nazarene lost its first-round NAIA National Tournament match to Notre Dame (Ohio), 2-1, and earned an at-large berth in the NCCAA Tournament.

The number four seed Palm Beach Atlantic University (10-5-2), the NCCAA South Region winner, meets the number five seed Judson College (17-3-0) from Elgin, Illinois, the NCCAA North Central Region champion, Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 7:45 p.m. eastern time.

The winner of the Olivet Nazarene vs. Mid-America Christian match and the winner of the Palm Beach Atlantic vs. Judson match meet in a championship semifinal match, Thursday, Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m. eastern time, and the losers of the two matches meet in a consolation semifinal match, Dec. 3, at 5:00 p.m. eastern time.

The participants take a day off on Friday, Dec. 4, and return for a final day of action on Saturday, Dec. 5. The fifth and seventh place matches take place at 10:00 a.m. eastern time, and the third-place match begins at 12:30 p.m. The battle for the 2009 NCCAA Championship begins at 5:30 p.m., Saturday evening, Dec. 5.

The NCCAA also hosts the Division I National Women’s Soccer Tournament the same weekend, running matches simultaneously with the men’s tournament.

The members of all eight teams also will be involved in a Christian Service Project (CSP) on Tuesday, Dec. 1. The project is a hands-on opportunity to assist Campus Crusade for Christ in their Christmas Gift Distribution. The student-athletes will begin sorting and packaging gifts for at-risk children and families in the Kissimmee and Orlando areas of central Florida. The teams are providing the gift and toy items for the toy drive.