RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Since joining the River States Conference (then the KIAC) in 2014, the men's soccer program at Rio Grande has been the dominant force in the league, winning seven of ten RSC titles and losing just three conference games in 10 years.

In fact, only one team in the last decade had been able to deny the RedStorm - the Golden Bears of WVU Tech. WVU Tech beat Rio Grande in the semifinal in 2017, the final in 2019, and then the final in 2023, with all three decisions coming in penalty kicks.

This year's edition of the RedStorm had no interest in reliving that penalty kick history.

Rio Grande claimed their eighth River States Conference men's soccer championship, all under the direction of legendary head coach Scott Morrissey, winning 3-0 over the visiting Golden Bears at Evan Davis Soccer Field in Rio Grande Wednesday afternoon. The win sends the RedStorm back to the NAIA Tournament for the 24th consecutive season, the longest such streak in the nation.

What proved to the game-winning goal for the RedStorm came in the 33rd minute, as All-Conference forward Joe McInnes found the back of the net on a well-placed pass from fellow All-Conference selection Joe McInnes. The RedStorm had another golden opportunity just before the half, but a shot by David Palade hit the crossbar to send the match to halftime with Rio Grande ahead just 1-0. 

The RedStorm kept up the pressure in the first 15 minutes of the second half, getting three corner kicks before finally cashing in in the 60th minute, when Estevao Goncalves scored on an assist from Lucas O'Donnell. With an insurance goal already in, the RedStorm put the exclamation point on the conference title in the 76th minute, as McInnes scored his second goal of the afternoon on an assist from Marti Puigsegur Calvo. 

Rio Grande now awaits their assignment in the 2024 NAIA Men's Soccer Championship, which will be announced by the national office in Kansas City on Saturday. The RedStorm will be looking for their first trip to the final site in Wichita since the 2022 season, when the RedStorm advanced to the national semifinals.