Columbia County, Ga. - The No. 1 Central Methodist men's soccer team edged No. 8 seeded Cumberlands (Ky.) by a score of 1-0 in the NAIA National Championship Quarterfinals Thursday afternoon in Columbia County, Ga. 

With the win, Central improves their overall record to 22-1 and advances to the national semifinals for the third straight season. The Patriots conclude their season with a 14-6-2 mark.

After a scoreless opening 19 minutes of play, sophomore forward Alessandro Salvadego was fouled inside the box and Central was awarded a penalty kick. Salvadego converted on the PK, giving Central a 1-0 lead with 25 minutes left in the first half. Both sides remained scoreless for the remainder of the period, entering halftime with the Eagles out in front.

The second half was evenly paced between both teams, as CMU collected six shots compared to four for the Patriots. The Cumberlands had chances to even the score on set pieces via corner kicks, but were unable to convert. The Eagles held on for the final 45 minutes of play, punching their ticket to the national semifinals.

As a unit, CMU finished the match with 13 shots and three on goal, compared to 11 shots and one on goal for the Patriots. Tom Irion, Salvadego, Victor Luengo, Clayton Duarte, and Theo Klein each chipped in two shots, with Salvadego's both coming on goal.

Stefano Camerlengo played all 90 minutes between the posts, picking up one save in the shutout win.

The Eagles will next square off against familar foe Missouri Valley College in the national semifinals on Saturday, May 8 at 2:00 (CST). Central defeated the Vikings in both matchups this season, including a 2-0 win in the Heart Championship back on April 17 in Fayette.

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