CONWAY,Ark. - The Central ARkansas men's soccer team heads to Nashville to open its ASUN Championship. Facing off against the No. 4 seed Queens, the Bears kick off as the No. 5 seed, starting at 6 p.m.

The Bears (3-8-4, 2-2-3 ASUN) earned their way into the field after shutting out North Florida in their regular season finale, winning 3-0 on a rainy Saturday. Devonte Richards notched a brace in the match, including the game-winner early in the first half. Pietro Fontana tallied his team-high 12th goal in the match as well. Fontana was one of three Bears to earn postseason honors from the league, claiming a spot on the league's first team.

Fontana was joined on all-conference teams by Deon Travis, who made the second team, as well as the All-Academic team, and Elijah Bishop, who was named to the league's all-freshman squad. 

Central Arkansas returns to the ASUN Championship with the hopes of making a third-straight final, having done so in each of the first two years in the league. Queens marks just the third team that the Bears will face in the ASUN Championships, having played Bellarmine in both semifinals and Lipscomb in both finals.

Last time the Bears and Royals faced off, Central Arkansas dominated in a 6-2 win. Fontana scored a program-record four goals, notching the first hat trick by a Bear since 2019 for the team's first ASUN win of the season.

Queens (5-9-2, 3-4 ASUN) was also in a situation last time out where a win was necessary just to make the tournament. And in a big way, the Royals did enough, defeating FGCU 3-2 on senior day. Down 2-0 at halftime, Queens scored three unanswered, including the game-winner in the 88th, to stun the Eagles and punch its ticket into the Championship.

Like the Bears, the Royals also received some postseason honors, placing three on all-conference teams, with two second team finishers and one all-freshman nod. 

The Bears and Royals play at 6 p.m. on Saturday, with a chance to face the No. 1 seeded Lipscomb Bisons on Monday. The match will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online.