SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- John Lochbaum drove a hard volley from 16 yards into the upper right corner of the net 23 seconds into the second sudden-death

overtime period Saturday, rallying Sangamon State University past Lynn University of Florida 4-3 for the NAIA national soccer championship.

It is the third national championship the Prairie Stars have won since they began play in 1977. Their previous titles came in 1986 and 1988. Jose Miranda set the play up by dribbling a few yards before sending Lochbaum a through ball from about 25 yards. It bounced once and the Prairie Stars sent Lynn to its second straight title-game defeat.

"I made the run on the far side and ran past my guy," said Lochbaum, a Southeast High School graduate. "It bounced once and I saw a defender coming from the left side. I knew I had to hit it. I just had to. I hit it to the upper 90." "I said before the period that one shot was going to do it," said Miranda, a senior midfielder. "I got the ball and carried it a few yards forward. I gave him the ball and he finished it."

As quick and sudden as Lochbaum's goal came to win the game, Pat Mann's tying goal was just as dramatic.

The Prairie Stars were only 1 minute, 1 second away from being denied the championship when Mann, a junior defenisve midfielder from St. Louis, cranked a direct kick from the 18 that sailed past frozen goalkeeper Joe Schafer into the center of the net.

SSU (19-4-1) has English stopper Ian Hindmarsh to thank for tripping Lochbaum -- and tripping the Knights' chances in their third consecutive trip to the title.

Lynn won in 1991, beating Midwestern State, and lost to Belhaven last year.

"We're three for three," said Aydin Gonulsen, coach of Sangamon State. "We don't lose the championship game. We've been there three times and haven't lost yet."

The game was scoreless until SSU's Sel Eren converted with 20:15 left in the first half for his first of two scores.

Cuneyt Baruteu went through a couple defenders before passing to Mann, who then sent the ball to open space for Bobby Bell. Bell dribbled a few yards and centered the ball into the box. Eren received it, brought Schafer out and then calmly rolled the ball to the far post of an open net.

"That goal got us hyped," said Eren. "That gave us the momentum. That second goal showed them we coudln't lose. No way in the world were we going to lose."

That second goal came with 5:50 left in regulation after Richard Hasse bombed in two of his three goals.

His goal that tied it 1-all came with 11:14 left in regulation after his free kick slammed into the wall. He rebounded it and drilled a 25-yard left-footed shot into the upper-right corner.

Hasse gave the Knights the lead with 6:35 left when he drilled another left-footed shot to the upper-left corner from 20 yards.

Eren answered 45 seconds later with the help of Mann and Jamie Hemingway.

Mann took a free kick from about 30 yards and drove it into the box, where the ball bounded off Hemingway's chest and popped out of the box. Lynn's defense couldn't clear it and Eren, with his back to Schafer, whirled and placed the ball on the ground to the far post.

The score stayed tied at 2-all until late in the first 15:00 overtime period. Play was restarted at 3:57 with a long throw-in to the far post. Hassewent high and flicked a header to the far post from in front of the net.

"We worked too hard and for too many hours to be denied today," said Gonulsen. "We weren't going to be denied. I thought we didn't have legs. But once we got into sudden death, we started playing. It's just wonderful.

"This title is a little different. It was more nerve-wracking, more emotional. That's the nature of the game, the high-scoring game I thought it would be. It was a roller-coaster of emotions. It was the most exciting of the three titles, definitely." "We showed guts," said goalkeeper Jerrod Frey, who appeared in last year's tournament as a field player. "We had enthusiasm and heart. That's hard to beat." "This is it," said Mann. "It does not get any better."

Lynn dominated the game between the 18-yard lines, but the SSU defense didn't allow them inside except for Hasse's header.

The Knights outshot the Prairie Stars 24-11, including 6-2 in the first half and 9-4 in the second half. They had 11 more corner kicks, 15-4. Schafer, the Springfield-area native and a second cousin to SSU assistant coach Joe Eck, was credited with one second-half save. Frey saved five. o The Prairie Stars placed three on the all-tournament team: Mann, Eren and sweeper Jose Corona.

Lynn's Nathan Gibson won the outstanding defensive player award and Darren Reed won the ofensive award. Mobile's Deutcho Vassilev garnered most valuable player honors.