Entering the season as the NJCAA DII No. 6-ranked team, the Heartland men's soccer team faced multiple challenges at the beginning of the year, ultimately dropping out of the rankings completely after a 1-3-2 start. Since that point, the Hawks have defeated four ranked opponents across NJCAA DI and DII and have compiled a 9-2-3 record to move to 10-5-5 overall. This hot stretch earned the Hawks an at-large bid as the No. 10 seed to the NJCAA DII National Tournament, which takes place Nov. 12-18 at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Ariz.
 
"We knew we had a difficult schedule, but backed ourselves to stick together and find a way," Heartland head coach Matthew Kemp said. "Our idea has always been to peak at the right time, and we've just gotten stronger and stronger as the season has gone on. So, full credit to the team for being all-in and never losing focus."
 
Heartland's path in the postseason certainly was not easy either, as the Hawks took down NJCAA DII No. 8-ranked Parkland College to take the Region-24 Championship and advance to the District Tournament. After defeating St. Charles in the semifinals, the Hawks would ultimately fall in the District Championship to NJCAA DII No. 11-ranked St. Louis.
 
"It means a lot to reach the National Tournament," Kemp said. "It's a reward for all of the hard work the team has put in throughout the whole season, going back to day one in pre-season. The visceral reaction to the draw shows that we are not only happy to be selected, but that we believe we can go do something special."
 
The Hawks will be featured in Pool C, which also includes the third-seeded CCBC (Community College of Baltimore County)-Essex Knights, and the sixth-seeded Schoolcraft College Ocelots. The winning team from each of the four pools will move to the semifinals on Thursday, before the championship match ultimately kicks-off on Saturday.
 
CCBC-Essex enters the tournament with a 17-2 overall record, including a 5-0 victory over College of Southern Maryland in the Region-20 Championship. The Knights defeated Heartland 1-0 in a tough battle in last year's pool play competition. This will mark the fourth straight season that the Hawks will take on CCBC-Essex at the National Tournament.
 
The Ocelots of Schoolcraft also enter the tournament with a 17-2 overall record, which includes a 4-1 record against ranked opponents. Schoolcraft won the Northeast District Championship 2-0 over Mercer County to qualify for the National Tournament. The Hawks and Ocelots most recently played last season, with the Hawks taking home a 4-1 victory.
 
Despite the tall task ahead of the Hawks, Kemp and his staff are confident in their group. Kemp explained that staying true to themselves will be a major key to success at the tournament.
 
"I think one of the most important things for success in the National Tournament is being true to ourselves, and not trying to be something that we're not," he said. "As mentioned before, the difficult schedule we've played gives us that inner confidence and self-belief that we're good enough to compete with the best teams in the country."
 
Heartland will open pool play at 4:00 PM CT on Sunday against CCBC-Essex before battling Schoolcraft on Monday, also at 4:00 PM CT. For bracket details and further information on the tournament, click here.
 
"We're going to take it one game at a time," Kemp said. "I fully believe in the depth of talent we have on our squad, and everyone will need to be ready to step up. Most importantly, we're going to give it everything we've got. You've got to be in it to win it, and here we are. The mindset has to be, bring it on, why not us?"