EUNICE, La. – No. 11 LSU Eunice will vie for an automatic berth into the NJCAA Division Men's Soccer National Tournament on Saturday as it faces off against No. 7 Tyler JC in the Gulf South Championship.  The 6:00PM contest will mark the third straight year the Bengals and Apaches meet for a District title.
 
LSUE Men's Soccer team have competed in a District Championship in all four years of the program's existence.
 
The Bengals advanced to the Gulf South final after a 3-2 road win over No. 12 Angelina College.  Jose Escobar (Fort Pierce, FL, Fort Pierce Central HS) carried the load for LSUE in the second half, turning a 1-0 deficit into a Bengals victory.  The sophomore scored two goals and assisted in the other Bengals goal.  The game winner came in the 87th minute to spark the thrilling victory.
 
Escobar leads the team in goals (8), assists (3) and points (19).  The brace against Angelina College was the Florida native's second with the Bengals and first this season.
 
Tyler JC comes into the contest with an impressive record of 15-2 and a 3-0 shutout of Coastal Bend in the semifinal round.  The Apaches offense has scored 53 goals this campaign, the 15th most in the nation.  Luis Flores paces the TJC offense with 15 goals on the season including a NJCAA-best nine game winners.
 
The Bengals and Apaches played earlier this season, LSUE falling 2-1 on the road playing a man down the final 25 minutes of the game.  Tyler JC has won the last three meetings between the two teams.
 
The winner of the Gulf South District Championship will receive one of eight automatic berths into the NJCAA Division I National Tournament to be played November 15-20 on the campus of Tyler JC.  The 12-team field will be rounded out by four at-large teams decided on by the National Tournament committee. 
 
The full tournament field will be unveiled next week.