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The Brazilian village on the Amazon River is so remote that it's only accessible by boat. When the 14 women from the Point Loma Nazarene soccer team arrived by water on a day last summer, the sun was beginning to set on a mostly dirt field carved out of, quite literally, the rain forest.

“Gorgeous,” recalled senior Erica Wessels. “The most beautiful field I've ever seen.”

There to warmly greet the San Diegans was a group of women from a local church who would serve as opponents in a scrimmage that could truly be defined as a “friendly.” The villagers were excited to play, though there was one surprise: They weren't wearing any shoes.

So the PLNU women removed their cleats.

“As a coach,” said Tim Hall, “to see our girls say, 'It doesn't matter; we're here to be with you' – I was very touched by that. I thought it was an incredible gesture.”

On the two-week trip there would be magical moments large and small, and if Hall couldn't exactly pinpoint what it would do for his team many months later, he is convinced it has had a significant impact on the players' spirit and sense of unity.

There's reason to believe that's the case.

Two years ago the Sea Lions took a similar trip to Brazil and later reached the NAIA Championships final before losing. This season, PLNU has been a juggernaut, losing only once in 22 games, and the Sea Lions have a legitimate chance at their first national title when the 16-team NAIA Tournament begins Tuesday in Decatur, Ala.

PLNU (19-1-2) opens against Santa Barbara's Westmont College (13-6), a familiar opponent from the Golden State Athletic Conference. It was Westmont that halted the Sea Lions' 17-game unbeaten streak with a 2-0 victory in late October. PLNU avenged the loss one week later in the GSAC tournament semifinals when it beat the Warriors 1-0 in overtime.

The Sea Lions have clearly been the class of their conference. They have outscored opponents 10-0 in the postseason, though they did lose the GSAC final to Azusa Pacific on penalty kicks following a 0-0 tie. Overall, PLNU has outscored its opponents 45-6 and 13 different players have recorded at least one goal.

PLNU placed six players on the all-conference team and Wessels was named the Player of the Year because – despite being PLNU's center back – the Horizon High alum led her squad with nine goals. (Wessels is only 5-foot-5, but apparently can strike a mean header.) Hall, who has coached the women for four years and the men's team for 16, was selected the Coach of the Year.

“This group is the best team we've ever had,” said Hall. “I think the results speak for themselves. They have found ways to win this year, to get that great record.”

Hall, 49, is a former PLNU men's soccer MVP who spent most of his youth in South Africa. His parents were missionaries working with blacks during the depths of apartheid. It was an upbringing that gave Hall a sense of worldliness and purpose that he has tried to pass on to his players during their trips abroad.

On the most recent adventure, the team played games on the jungle field, a World Cup practice field, indoor futsal court, and even the beach – a Brazilian favorite. In one game, PLNU beat a semi-professional team 1-0 with their host pastor serving as their goalie.

Away from the pitch, the women visited with children at schools and churches in impoverished areas. They sat in on classes and participated in P.E. “They were just there, being present for the kids,” Hall said.

“It's hard to put into words,” Hall added of the impact on his players. “Each one of them was hit in pretty different ways. They saw Brazil in all facets, from the affluence that soccer provides to the deepest levels of poverty. There's tremendous global perspective you can get out of that.”

A nursing major, Wessels believes the experience did produce a greater bond on the team.

“It's pretty unheard of for 14 girls to live in the same room for 14 days and not get into a single fight,” Wessels, 22, said. “Any of us now can sit in a room and talk for hours because we're so close. The bonding on and off the field has done great things for us.”