Wichita, Kansas-The SCC Blackhawks, just in their third year as a collegiate program, find themselves just one step away from claiming a National Championship.  But nothing has been easy for the upstart Blackhawks.  The Blackhawks have had to overcome the loss and replacement of two coaches mid-season, the loss of two sophomore starters just before the national tournament, playing their first two matches at the national tournament without their starting striker and goalkeeper, and have had to fight through cramps, pulled muscles, and dehydration while in Wichita in route to the national championship title game.

That is not to say that the Blackhawks haven't also had their fair share of good fortune as well.  Any team that makes it all the way to the title game can likely look back to what might have been if a thing or two did not go their way at crucial moments.  A perfect example were those two goals the Blackhawks scored in the last few minutes of their district title match with Allen County just to qualify for the national tournament.  But for the most part, the Blackhawks have earned their good fortune.  And now, all that stands in the way of a title is the winner of the second semi-final game between Heartland Community College and CCBC Essex (Community College of Baltimore County).

All season long, coach Zach Newton felt as if the Blackhawks were under ranked and under respected.  In fact, the Blackhawks didn't even get into the national rankings until late in the season, and that was not without lobbying from the SCC Athletic Department and coach Newton himself.  The final rankings had SCC ranked #8 in the nation.  Then, the national soccer committee seeded them as the fifth best team in the tournament.  Their #5 seeding made them the lowest ranked team to reach the Final Four.  Which meant they had to face the top remaining seed, the #1 ranked team in the nation, Pima CC from Arizona.

The Blackhawks dispatched of Pima CC with a defense first strategy.  Jair Arita scored early in the contest when the Blackhawks were awarded a penalty kick.  The Blackhawks primarily found themselves playing defense for the remainder of the contest and protecting their one goal advantage.  Then, late in the second half, the Blackhawks defense afforded them two opportunities to score.  Bart Muns and Yohan Bernard connected on opportunities, giving the Blackhawks a 3-0 lead, before allowing a penalty kick goal to Pima at the end of the match.  The Blackhawks 3-1 victory is making believers of the fans in Wichita and back home in Burlington.  The national championship game kicks off at 4 PM tomorrow.