By Justin Fedich | The Selma Times-Journal

Concordia College Alabama’s soccer team accepted a bid to play in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Soccer Championship in Asheville, North Carolina. However, the team is still raising the money to get there.

Concordia athletic director Don Jefferson said the school needs to raise roughly $8,000 in order for the team to travel to the USCAA soccer tournament, which takes place from Wednesday, Nov. 4 to Saturday, Nov. 7.

The tournament will be played at Warren Wilson College at the John B. Lewis Soccer Complex.

Concordia is the No. 5 seed in the tournament and is scheduled to play its first game Thursday at 2 p.m. ET against No. 4 seed Berkeley College NY.

“We’re going, but we’re trying to work out everything to get there,” said Concordia soccer head coach Emanuel Stephens.

The college announced last week it might have to limit some of its upcoming travel to stay within its athletics budget.  Earlier this week, Jefferson said the team wouldn’t be able to make the trip unless something changed quickly.

Since then, he said he has reached out to numerous organizations, including Lutheran churches around the area, for help in raising the funds to travel to the tournament.

He said he hopes to have a final answer by Friday on whether or not the team will be able to compete, but both Jefferson and Stephens remain optimistic the Hornets will participate in the tournament.

“We still have to file the paperwork and get the rooms for the kids and all that, so the plan right now is to go. I’m trying to raise the money along with some of our other personnel here on campus,” Jefferson said.

Concordia soccer players are still practicing for the tournament, but they know they might not get the opportunity to play. Jefferson said he is doing whatever he can to give the players that opportunity.

“Our kids deserve to go because this is a reward for the type of season that they’ve had,” Jefferson said.

The Hornets finished the season with a 9-5 record with only one USCAA loss. They were led offensively by Stanley Benjamin, who finished the season sixth in the conference with 15 goals and tied for fourth with eight assists and Samson Metelus, who finished third with 10 assists.

Goalkeeper Thoby Wendy has also been a strong contributor for the Hornets, as he ended the season with the fourth-highest save percentage in the USCAA.

Concordia made it to the semifinals of last year’s tournament last season. Jefferson hopes the team gets another chance to make a run for the national championship.

“We just want the kids to have the opportunity to go,” Jefferson said. “If they go, fine. If they can’t go, then we can live with it.”