For three Fresno Pacific seniors, the upcoming NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship is the culmination of a collegiate brotherhood that had roots in a club team about a dozen years ago.
Edison Gonzalez,
Gabriel Ramirez and
Nehemias Blanco first teamed up on the Roosevelt Revolution under-11 team when they were 8, 9 and 10 years old, respectively.
On Nov. 30, the trio will join their Sunbirds teammates in the first round of the NAIA national tournament -- being played on their home turf, Ramirez Field.
The three seniors recall practicing often at Fresno Pacific as young players, watching in awe the Sunbirds teams of the past 10 years.
Gonzalez remembers, as a teenager, looking up to such Sunbirds stars as Orlando Ramirez, Milton Blanco, Gaston Cignetti and Fabricio Codeceira. Those athletes were part of the lineup that finished runner-up in the 2003 NAIA national tournament.
"We hoped one day to play at that level," Gonzalez said.
They are.
Gonzalez, Ramirez and Blanco have achieved a feat accomplished only once in school history -- three straight appearances in the national tournament. It was also done by the 1983-85 teams.
"In college soccer, the national tournament is the highest stage you can play on," Blanco said. "That's what you hope for in your college career, to win a national title."
As they did last season, the Sunbirds reached the 2009 national tournament by being the host school. In 2007, Fresno Pacific qualified for the nationals and reached the quarterfinals.
This season, the Sunbirds are determined to prove they can hold their own against any team in the elite field.
"We want to show we belong as much as anyone," said Ramirez, son of Fresno Pacific coach
Jaime Ramirez and brother of assistant coach
Orlando Ramirez.
In the first round of last year's national tournament, Fresno Pacific took No. 1 seed Oklahoma City into overtime before losing 2-1.
That convinced Gabriel Ramirez that the Sunbirds were as good as any team in the tournament.
"Anyone has a chance," he said. "There's no reason to think we can't take it all."
Jaime Ramirez, who recruited all three players out of high school (Ramirez and Blanco from Roosevelt, Gonzalez from Bullard), said he has seen them grow both on and off the field.
In keeping with the NAIA Champions of Character campaign, Ramirez said Fresno Pacific works to see student-athletes grow "not for the benefit of the sport, but for the benefit of the person."
Fresno Pacific will play the 7 p.m. game on Nov. 30 against the winner of this Saturday's qualifying contest between No. 4-seeded Embry-Riddle (Florida) and Mobile (Alabama).
The 2009 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship runs from Nov. 30 through Dec. 5 at Ramirez Field.
The schedule:
Nov. 30: First-round games at 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Dec. 1: First-round games at 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Dec. 2: Quarterfinals at 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Dec. 3: No games
Dec. 4: Semi-finals at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Dec. 5: Championship game at 3 p.m.
Ticket prices for the 2009 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship range from $10 for one day to $40 for an all-tournament pass. Tickets will cost $10 for the semifinals and $12 for the final. Student tickets are half price, and children ages 7 and under will get in free. There is also a $30 group price for youth soccer teams. Tickets are available online or at the gate.
Volunteers are still needed to help run the six-day tournament. Those interested in volunteering should call (559) 453-2207 or email
mike.rupcich@fresno.edu.
For more information, call (559) 453-2009 or email
michelle.boling@fresno.edu.