COLLEGE MEN'S SOCCER: Nationals in the Cards ... NIC men receive at-large bid for first trip to nationals in program history

By JASON ELLIOTT 

Sports writer 

The reaction was so loud, it could have been felt in Powell, Wyo. 

A false alarm — but it was well worth it for the North Idaho College men's soccer team on Tuesday.

"It's just a surreal moment," sophomore Ivan Leon said. "Being the very last name to be said, I was just thinking it was going to be another team." 

This time, it came out the Cardinals' way. 

North Idaho College received an at-large bid to the NJCAA men's soccer championships at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kan., starting on Sunday.

It's the Cardinals' first trip to nationals in program history, which dates back to 1999. 

The tourney begins with four three-team pools. NIC (16-2-3) will be the ninth seed in Pool D and will face fourth-seeded Tyler Junior College of Texas on Sunday and fifth-seeded Eastern Florida State on Monday.

The winner of each pool advances to the semifinals next Thursday.

"I think it's appropriate and think we're right about there," third-year NIC coach Brad Williams said. "We could have been a little higher with the way we were playing in-season. But it's going to be a difficult group to play against, but all the teams once you reach this level are good. I think we've earned the right to be there. It's been a process the last three years to get to this point, but we deserve to be there." 

Not knowing whether it was in the tournament or not, NIC hosted a watch party Tuesday in the Lake Coeur d'Alene Room at the Edminster Student Union Building on campus. A handful of supporters, including athletes from other Cardinal teams, attended.

Midway through the event, NIC reacted as Northwest College of Powell, Wyo., was announced as the 11th seed. NIC was the final team named to the 12-team field. 

"I think for us coming up short of nationals twice, it was difficult for us," Williams said. "To get this one, it was really nice for us and makes the other ones not feeling so bad right now." 

Tyler, ranked fourth in the final NJCAA poll of the season on Oct. 26, is 11-0-1. Eastern Florida, ranked fifth in the final poll, is 10-1-3. Both teams won their respective regional tournaments. 

"Both of those teams come from hot climates," Williams said. "Eastern Texas is pretty warm. We're really used to anything at this point, and it's definitely an advantage for our players. Something we've been doing is setting up different looks offensively and defensively with the time we've had off with the possibility of this moment. And now, we'll be throwing some different things into the mix that we haven't shown this season, because at this point in the season, you have to. I think we're set up well and getting guys back healthy now." 

Salt Lake (16-0-3) is the tournament's top overall seed. 

"It definitely shows there's competition on this side of the country," said sophomore midfielder Fabian Arguello, from Caldwell High. "We're very proud of them for making it. They're a difficult squad to play, but I love the challenge. I love going against them. We mean business, and that's that." 

"We lost to them twice, and that's just a fact," Leon said. "Congrats to them. It just shows that we're able to hang with those teams as well and puts our odds even better." 

Leon, a sophomore forward from Millville, Utah, has eight goals scored and nine assists in 21 games for NIC. 

"We started the season so strong," Leon said. "We fell short a couple of times at the end of the season. Now, it just makes us much hungrier." 

Lennox Kern, a sophomore from Frankfurt, Germany, has three goals and three assists in 16 games. 

"We all thought we could be in the tournament," Kern said. "At the end, you know when you first see it, it's great. Everyone is excited. We've achieved our goals because our effort we put in during the season and the sacrifices we made were worth it." 

NIC went 13-4-3 in 2024, advancing to the semifinals of the Region 18 Tournament. In 2025, NIC again advanced to the semifinals, falling to top-seeded Salt Lake to finish 13-6-1. 

Williams took over as coach in 2024, the Cardinals' first season back at the NJCAA level after leaving in 2014 and moving in the regionally-based Northwest Athletic Conference for a decade. 

"I think the last two years, we were right on the cusp and right there," Williams said. "This year, we proved week in and week out that we can compete with the best in the country. Five of our teams in the conference were ranked at some point, and that's something most in the country don't get to experience." 

"This last year, we've had a lot of ups and downs," Arguello said. "This season, we're a complete group and playing as one. Everyone is playing together. We still had some ups and downs this season, but this is well deserved for all of us." 

Both Eastern Florida State and Tyler went 1-1 at nationals last season.  

"Just our mentality," Arguello said. "We're all in on the plan and I think that's the most important thing about us. If we can just keep going, I've got all the confidence in our team that we can get through it. Everyone has improved and developed into this game. Now, we've got to show it one more time." 

NIC suffered its first loss of the season on Oct. 24, 3-0 to Salt Lake in Herriman, Utah, then fell to the Bruins 3-1 in the Region 18 championship game on Oct. 31, also in Herriman.

"This team is special," Kern said. "We've got the perfect personalities for a great season. We've young players, but also older players to help those other kids develop and show them how everything works. We've got a good mix of International and American players this year. Overall, we're just happy about this season." 

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press North Idaho College men's soccer coach Brad Williams, center, Berkan Kuepelikilinc and Rabi Helmand wait for an announcement during an NJCAA Championships selection show viewing at the Lake Coeur d'Alene Room of the Student Union Building in Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Members of the North Idaho College men's soccer team hoist Rees Williams in the air after the team's selection into the NJCAA Championships starting on Sunday in Wichita, Kan.