The Faith Baptist Bible College men’s soccer team closed out an historic season on Thursday with a 4-1 victory over Grace Christian University in the final game of pool play at the NCCAA National Tournament at Kissimmee, Fla.
The Eagles went 1-0-2 at the tournament and were in contention for a berth in the national championship until Pensacola Christian College rolled to an 8-2 win over Alice Lloyd College to win the Pool B crown. Pensacola will play Toccoa Falls College for the title on Saturday.
FBBC, which qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2015, finished with a 12-4-5 record.
“I am very proud of what the team accomplished,” said freshman Austin Lundberg, who led the Eagles with 20 goals and also had six assists for a team-high 46 points. “Not many teams can say they went to nationals, let alone went undefeated at nationals.”
Lundberg teamed up with his brother Parker, a junior, to form a potent offensive duo. Parker scored the first two goals on Thursday before Austin and Noah Blomquist each added a goal for the Eagles.
“Playing with Austin again was so much fun and a really unique opportunity that I am so thankful for,” said Parker, who finished second on the team with 12 goals and 29 points. “Whether it was pushing each other in practice or building each other up in games, it was such a great opportunity.”
The brothers previously were teammates at Ankeny Centennial in 2023, when they helped the Jaguars reach the Class 4A semifinals. Austin, who attended Ankeny Christian Academy, then played his final two high school seasons at Ankeny, where he played in two more state tournaments and earned all-state honors.
Parker was excited about the Eagles’ potential when the brothers reunited on the pitch this fall.
“We had some pieces returning, and some freshmen that really came out of nowhere and played really key roles for us,” he said. “I really think what set us apart was the bond that we made off the field. We had so much fun together that it carried over onto the field and created a culture that was really special.”
The Eagles advanced to the national tournament for only the third time in school history after defeating Crown College, 2-1, in a shootout to win the North Region title on Nov. 12 in Des Moines. Parker scored a goal in the 90th minute to force overtime, then later converted the final penalty kick to punch his team’s ticket to Florida.
“It was such a good time playing with Parker again,” Austin said. “Especially running a two-forward system where him and I were up top, it was so much fun. I’m just super thankful for all that has happened this season.”
The seventh-seeded Eagles opened the national tournament on Monday with a 2-2 draw against No. 2 Alice Lloyd. Austin Lundberg converted a penalty kick in the 9th minute to put his team ahead, but FBBC eventually fell behind and needed an equalizer from Zachary Choi with just 52 seconds left to earn the tie.
Then, on Tuesday, the Eagles battled No. 3 Pensacola to another draw, despite being outshot by a 25-7 margin. Pensacola scored on a PK late in the first half, but FBBC got an equalizer less than a minute into the second half from Cody Clark, who found himself in the midfield with the ball and no defenders in sight, and launched a shot from deep outside the box that soared over the keeper’s reach and into the net.
Pensacola placed one more shot on goal in the second half, but Zeke Denger earned his third and final save of the day with the easy scoop to preserve the tie and keep the Eagles’ bid for a national championship berth alive for the moment.
“It’s been a super fun year just because of the culture the team has developed through the season and led to the tournament,” Austin said.