The Lowdown: No. 12 Ottawa University at Friends University
Location: Adair-Austin Stadium
Kickoff: Oct. 28 @ 7:30 PM
Live Stream: https://kcacnetwork.com/friends/
Live Stats: https://naiastats.prestosports.com/sports/msoc/2026-27/conf/KCAC/Box_Scores/20261028_kqm6.xml
Flying with the Falcons (12-3-1, 10-1 KCAC)
The last time the Falcons were in action was when they went to Hillsboro to go on and beat Tabor 2-1. A penalty kick goal from forward Jose Quiel got them started and Quiel also assisted on the second goal scored by defenseman Andrea Michael Xibilia.
Quiel has been on a heater for the Falcon offense recently. In the last four games, Quiel has assisted or scored a goal in each game. In that stretch Quiel has six goals and four assists.
In the current five game win streak the Falcons offense has scored 27 goals and only allowed two. The attack has been consistent with double-digit shots on goal averaging 13.2 attempts on goal in those five games.
The goalkeeper tandem of Cameron Stout and Keagan Lewis has been nothing but spectacular for the Falcons defense. Each have started in eight games and have combined for nine shutouts, eight of them have been against conference opponents. These two have held opponents to a 1.06 goals allowed average which is top 25 in the country.
The Falcons have had a home field advantage all season with an undefeated 6-0 home record.
This matchup carries significant implications for the KCAC regular-season championship. Friends currently sits atop the conference standings with a 10-1 record, while Ottawa follows closely behind at 9-0-2. With two games remaining for each team, the winner of this contest will control its own destiny in the race for the KCAC regular-season title.
The Falcons most recent chance at a regular season championship was the 2021 season where they went 9-2-1 in the conference and fell behind Oklahoma Wesleyan. It's been 20 years since the Falcons took home the KCAC regular season title and they can help themselves out tonight with a big win against a ranked Ottawa team.
Dish on the Braves (12-1-3, 9-0-2 KCAC)
The Ottawa Braves currently ranked No. 12 in the latest NAIA poll last tied with York 1-1. A second half goal by forward Antonio Natalucci was the difference maker in the draw.
Forward Cale Scott has been the leading scorer for the Braves this season finding the back of the net 20 times for Ottawa. Scott leads the KCAC in goals and is fourth in the NAIA. Natalucci is leading the Braves in assists with 11, a big part of this Braves offense is getting these two going early as Natalucci is right behind Scott in goals.
Senior Alex Peri is the number one goalkeeper for the Braves as he has logged 14 starts and has only allowed 11 goals which leads to a 0.86 GAA.
Both teams tonight are top 10 in the NAIA for goals scored. Ottawa is in 10th with 55 goals and Friends is ahead of them at eighth with 58.
The Braves love to put on shots to test their opponents, they are currently eighth in the country with shots per game with 19.44 on average.
Ottawa can hang their hat on a huge ranked win this season with a 3-0 shutout over at the time No. 1 Oklahoma Wesleyan, a team that has dominated the KCAC for years. It has been a while since the Braves last loss, which was in the month of August when they fell to Benedictine 2-1.
The Coaches:
Bryan Perez is in his sixth season as head coach of the Friends University men's soccer program.
In 2024, Perez coached three All-KCAC players and led the Falcons to a 6-4-3 record in the KCAC.
During the 2023 campaign, Perez guided the Falcons to a 9-6-5 overall record and a 7-2-4 mark in the KCAC. The Falcons advanced to the KCAC postseason tournament semifinal round and had top-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan University on the ropes, but OKWU tied the score with 16 seconds left in regulation and pulled out a 3-2 win in double-overtime.
In 2022, the Falcons finished fifth in the league after coming in as the third seed in Perez's debut season as head coach.
During his first season in 2021, Perez helped the Falcons to a 12-4-1 overall record, including winning 12 of their final 15 matches.
In his first season with the program as an assistant coach, Perez helped the Falcons capture the KCAC tournament championship and achieve the program's first NAIA National Tournament berth since the 2007 season.
Perez was recently named the head coach of FC Wichita, a local men's soccer amateur team that is a member of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). He also functions as the Technical Director for the program.
Prior to taking his position at FC Wichita, Perez served as the Director of Coaching for Alliance FC in Kansas City, where he led the coaches and developed the soccer curriculum.
His professional playing career includes competing for six years for the Kansas City Comets, an indoor soccer team in the Major Arena Soccer League. He led the Comets to a pair of championships, including an undefeated season in 2015.
He was also called to play for the United States Men's National Futsal team for their 2012 and 2016 World Cup Qualifying teams.
Perez played collegiately at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and enjoyed a standout career that resulted in him being inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.
He wrapped up his playing career at UMKC as the team's all-time leader in goals (29), points (70) and games played (78).
Perez was a four-time All-Summit league performer, including earning first-team honors on three occasions.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from UMKC in 2010 and currently resides in Wichita with his wife Jamie and two children, Mila (seven) and Enzo (four).
James Cottage came to Ottawa from familiar Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Bethel College, completing his fourth season at the helm for the Threshers in 2021. During his tenure, Cottage coached eight All-KCAC athletes while improvements were made each year including reaching the KCAC playoffs each of the last two seasons. In 2021, the Threshers recorded their highest win total in over a decade while stringing together five straight wins along the way.
Prior to Bethel, Cottage was an assistant at NCAA Division II California State University - Monterey Bay for one season before becoming a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Oklahoma women's soccer team under head coach Matt Potter.
Cottage has spent most of his playing and coaching career in the Sooner State. He took over as the head coach of his alma mater Southwestern Christian University in Bethany, Okla. shortly after the 2014 season, coaching for two seasons. In 2016, SCU finished the season 15-5-5 and went onto win the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament, with Cottage being named NCCAA Coach of the Year. Four players were placed on the All-Tournament Team, while Cottage led Chad Dennis to winning Player of the Tournament and NCCAA National Player of the Year.
A native of Thrapston, England, Cottage moved to the United States in 2007 and attended the University of Science and Arts in Chickasha, Oklahoma. After his sophomore year, he transferred to SCU.
Captaining the Eagles in the midfield during the 2009 season, Cottage led SCU to a 16-5 season that saw his team finish as ACCA National Champions and NCCAA Southwest Regional Champions. In 2010, Cottage led the Eagles as captain again during his senior year, scoring eight goals and adding three assists on the way to a 20-3 record.
Cottage graduated from SCU in 2010 with a degree in sport management, and immediately took a position as an assistant soccer coach at SCU. He received a master's degree in Sport Administration in 2018 from East Central University.
Fifth season as head coach of the OU men's soccer program
Overall coaching record of 104-78-23 and a OU coaching record of 51-20-15. He has a KCAC mark of 36-5-10 at OU.
Cottage serves on the NAIA National Executive Committee and is the men's soccer chair of the KCAC.
Has led the Braves to two NAIA National Tournament appearances, making it to the final site in 2025. In 2023, led OU to its first NAIA National Tournament appearance since the 1971 season
While at Ottawa, he has coached five NAIA All-Americans, two KCAC Freshmen of the Year, 29 All-KCAC performers, 34 Daktronic Scholar Athletes, 22 KCAC Scholar Athletes, four CSC Academic All-District selections, and one CSC Academic Second Team All-American.
Up Next: The Falcons will be at Adair-Austin Stadium for their regular season finale against McPherson on Saturday (Oct. 31) at 2:30pm.
Falcons by the Numbers:
Overall: 12-3-1
KCAC: 10-1
Home: 6-0
Away: 6-3-1
Scoring zero goals: 0-0
Scoring one goal: 12-3-1
Scoring two goals: 11-2-1
Scoring three goals: 8-0-1
Scoring 4+ goals: 5-0
Allowing zero goals: 9-0
Allowing one goal: 4-2-1
Allowing two goals: 0-3-1
Allowing three goals: 0-2-1
Allowing 4+ goals: 0-2
Leading at halftime: 10-0
Trailing at halftime: 1-2
Tied at halftime: 0-1-1
Leading in shots-on-goal: 12-1
Trailing in shots-on-goal: 0-2-1
Shots-on-goal are even: 0-0
