DUBUQUE, Iowa - Ashford University men's soccer Head Coach Richard Markham had a hard time falling asleep last night.

He should rest peacefully tonight after the still undefeated and 26th-ranked Saints (15-0-2, 6-0-2 MCC) added another chapter to a historical season with a thrilling 1-0 overtime win over Clarke College on Sunday afternoon to become regular-season Midwest Collegiate Conference champions.

"I couldn't be anymore proud of this team tonight," an emotional Markham said afterwards. "The hard work has really paid off and today it puts a stamp on what we're trying to do here."

"No one has handed us anything and we've earned that right to play for the conference championship," he added. "I'm really at a loss for words. Each and every one of our players had a dream to capture that conference championship at the beginning of the season and tonight we showed we're champions."

Sophomore Michael Handley of Webb City, Mo., scored the game's lone goal on a header in the 97th minute after a perfect pass was floated by senior forward Soroush Kalhor of Rock Island, Ill., on a free kick.

Kalhor subsequently removed his jersey to reveal an undershirt with "4 years of waiting," scrawled in permanent marker, a fitting inscription to the Saints' undefeated season as they collected their 15th win of the year.

A celebration ensued on the middle of the field and Markham was serenaded with an icy water bath, the closest thing to mirror a traditional Gatorade drenching, by his team. The women's team also stayed until the very end, cheering from the hill.

"We just wanted to finish an undefeated season and accomplish the goal we had set out as a team," Kalhor said. "We knew what we were getting into with this game and Clarke had plenty to play for too. It was a good, high-tempo match."

The men captured their first ever Midwest Collegiate Conference crown and it marked the first league title for the school since then-Mount St. Clare's track and field team won the 2001 conference title.

Brackets were released shortly after the game that revealed Ashford as the top seed in the MCC Tournament and will play the winner of Waldorf/St. Ambrose University on Nov. 1 after a play-in game.

One of the critical pieces of the puzzle fell into place on Saturday when Grand View University fell to Viterbo University. If Ashford would have lost or tied against Clarke, Viterbo would have been the No. 1 seed and the Saints would have been seeded third.

Junior goalkeeper Nick Roman of Belvidere, Ill., recorded his eighth shutout of the year in net and the Saints' defense held strong as the Crusaders' offensive rallies were continually thwarted.

"I went to bed last night wondering which one of our teams is going to show up tomorrow," Markham said. "I wanted to know what kind of work rate that we would be able to produce on the field. Our conditioning really paid off in overtime because we were able to wear them down a little bit.

Ashford and Clarke were mired in a defensive struggle for the first two periods, trading limited shots on goal on a field that appeared slick. Players from both sides struggled to change direction and keep footing.

The Saints take their unbeaten record to Upper Iowa University in Fayette for the regular-season finale on Wednesday. Game time is set for 3 p.m.