Game # 7 – Evangel Crusaders (3-3, 0-0) at MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers (2-4, 0-0)

Sat., Oct. 17, 2015 – 2 p.m. – Olathe, Kan. – Olathe District Activities CTR (5,000) 

Evangel Broadcast Coverage:

Live Audio: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/evangel/

Crusaders open divisional play at MidAmerican Nazarene: The Heart of America conference resumes Saturday following a bye date last week as Evangel travels to MidAmerica Nazarene. 

The Crusaders are 3-3 and have been idle since a 6-3 loss at home to Graceland on October 3rd. 

MidAmerica Nazarene is 2-4 and are coming off of a 36-31 loss to 9th ranked Grand View. The Pioneers have lost two straight and three of their last four. All four of MNU's losses have been by six points or less with two of the losses coming in overtime. 

The Pioneers lead the all-time series 16-10-1 and have won the last 12 meetings between the two teams. Evangel's last win over MidAmerica Nazarene came in 2002 in a 41-33 win at JFK Stadium. When the Crusaders won the conference title in 2005, they lost at home to the Pioneers 33-28. Evangel's last win in Olathe, Kansas came in 2001 when the Crusaders won 35-22. 

Saturday marks start of division play: Saturday's game at MidAmerica Nazarene opens divisional play in the Heart of America conference. This season, the Heart expanded to 12 teams and as a result, the league split into two, six-team divisions. The schedule format had teams from the Southern Division play teams from the Northern Division for the first six weeks. For the final five weeks, intra-division play takes over. 

The games within the division are the only games that count in the standings and will determine the division winners. The champion from the Southern Division and champion from the Northern Division will receive automatic bids to the NAIA Championship Series. 

The first half of the season, Southern Division teams went 16-20 against the Northern Division.

Game Notes