BOWLING GREEN, Ky - Texas-Pan American's soccer team, seeded fifth in the Sun Belt Conference Championship starting Thursday at Western Kentucky, enjoys its first-ever chance to play its way into the NCAA national playoffs.

The UTPA Broncs take a 2-9 season record against fourth-seeded South Alabama (12-7) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Third-seeded Vanderbilt (7-7-2) faces sixth-seeded Arkansas-Little Rock (4-14) in the other first-rounder at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Top-seeded Jacksonville (11-5) will test the UTPA-USA winner at 4 p.m. Friday in the semifinals. Second-seeded Western Kentucky (11-7), tied for the regular-season title, plays the other semifinal.

If the Broncs win Thursday they are guaranteed two more games --the semifinals Fridayplus either the championship game Sunday or the third-place game Saturday. The Sun Belt champion advances to a playoff with another conference king for an NCAA spot.

"Right now everyone is healthy," said Dr. Miguel Paredes, UTPA coach, reporting no injuries. "We like the choice that we were given of playing South Alabama. We lost to them 2-0 (in Jacksonville Oct. 22) but we think we have a chance if we play well."

"We have good expectations about the tournament," Paredes added. "We have done well against some of the best teams (losing only 2-1 in overtime to Western Kentucky). I think the players share my optimism and that's good-- that's the right attitude."

"I'm happy about what we have achieved. At the end of the season the players are producing better than ever. In our last game we beat the Alumni Select Team in the rain, 2-1. Hector Lopez won it with a penalty kick. Daniel Ausucua scored our first goal."

UTPA's star defender Luis Cardenas, a sophomore from McAllen, was named to the 11-man All-Sun Belt Conference team.