WICHITA, Kan. - The Friends University Falcons men's soccer team made history Wednesday night (Oct. 28), defeating Ottawa University 2-0 at Adair-Austin Stadium to clinch the KCAC regular-season championship for the first time in 20 years.
The Falcons improved to 13-3-1 overall and 11-1 in conference play, securing the top spot in the KCAC standings with the victory over the Braves.
Friends broke through in the 28th minute when Andrea Michael Xibilia found the back of the net, finishing a pass from Greyson York to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.
After carrying the lead into halftime, Friends added an insurance goal in the second half. Erik Huerta pitched a ball towards the Ottawa backline and it came out to Diego Marin who then had a one on one with the Braves' goalkeeper Alex Neri. Marin finished at the 75th minute doubling the Falcons' lead and putting the match out of reach.
The Falcons' defense took care of the rest, keeping Ottawa off the scoreboard to secure the shutout and the conference championship. Goalkeeper Keagan Lewis delivered a strong performance, making four saves to earn the shutout.
Ottawa finished with a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal, but Friends capitalized on its opportunities and held firm defensively. The Falcons also recorded nine total shots and earned three corner kicks.
After suffering 12 losses a season ago, the Falcons have completely rewritten their story in 2026. Friends completed a remarkable turnaround, capturing its first KCAC regular-season championship since 2006 and punching its ticket to the NAIA National Tournament for the first time since 2019. What was a season of struggles just a year ago has transformed into one of the most historic campaigns in program history.
The win marks the Falcons' 10th shutout victory of the season as they look to carry their momentum into Senior Day on Saturday (Oct. 31). Friends will honor its seniors before taking on McPherson College at Adair-Austin Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
