THOMASVILLE, Ga. – After winning four consecutive one-goal matches, the Thomas University men's soccer team will look to continue their recent run of success when it faces off against No. 23 Auburn University-Montgomery on Sunday at TU Soccer Complex.
 
The Night Hawks, who are about one-third of the way through the 2015 season, have won matches in just about every way possible so far this year.  Ricky Zambrano's side opened the season with a resounding shutout of the defending national champions, followed by a match that debunked the proverbial "letdown game" myth in a 2-1 win over a pesky Talladega side.
 
The Night Hawks, with two wins and ample momentum on their side, then managed to defeat Middle Georgia State and William Carey at home, despite the fact that the team played a man down for large chunks of both matches, including nearly the entire match against WCU.
 
Sunday's match versus Auburn-Montgomery will be another challenge for the TU men, as the Warhawks have been one of the best teams in the country so far in 2015.  AUM has navigated a brutal early-season schedule to near-perfection, playing three ranked opponents in seven matches en route to a 5-1-1 record.  The Warhawks most impressive victory came on Sept. 7, as the team outscored No. 2 Northwestern Ohio 3-0 over the final 85 minutes of play to record a 3-1 upset victory.
 
Most recently, Auburn-Montgomery tied No. 13 Georgia Gwinnett in arguably the wildest match the NAIA has seen this season.  The Warhawks conceded a 3-1 lead with 20 minutes to play and a 4-3 lead with under five minutes to play in a 4-4 double overtime draw with the Grizzlies.
 
Thomas has a chance to rebound after a hard fought 3-2 loss to No. 6 Mobile on Friday night and will instantly be tested Sunday against the offensive juggernauts of AUM.  The Warhawks rank first in the NAIA in total assists (26) and third in the country in total goals (28), and the team is led by Alexander Neubarth, Sebastian Wladyko and Franco Vargas, a trio that ranks first, fifth, and seventh, respectively, in total assists.
 
AUM shares the ball better than any team in the country, but Thomas has established itself as one of the top defensive sides in its own right.  The Night Hawks have conceded just four goals in five matches despite playing with 10 men on multiple occasions.
 
Sunday will undoubtedly be a difficult test, but the Night Hawks have no reason to enter the match with anything but full confidence after an impressive start to the season.  Just days away from the release of the first in-season national poll, the weekend battle between Thomas and AUM will feature two teams with legitimate claims to a Top 10 status.  Regardless of ranking, the Night Hawks and Warhawks both have national title aspirations, giving Sunday's match the potential to be a thriller.
 
For up-to-date information on this match and other TU Athletics, visit http://www.TUNightHawks.com. Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, play-by-play, and feature stories of your TU men's soccer team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksMSocc.