Seven Minnesota D3 College Soccer Programs Make NCAA Post Season Tournament

Four Minnesota Division-3 women’s soccer programs and three men’s programs were selected to participate in the NCAA post season tournament for 2010.

On the women’s side three teams will represent the MIAC Conference while one team represents the UMAC Conference in the 63-team national tournament.

Carleton, Macalester and Concordia-Moorhead will all represent the MIAC Conference:

Carleton had the best record in the MIAC Conference with a 9-1-1 and a 14-2-2 overall record. They hosted the MIAC Championship game last Saturday but lost in overtime to Concordia in a game that went through two overtimes and was decided by penalty kicks. This is the third consecutive season the Knights see NCAA post season play. The 16th-ranked Knights will face the 18th-ranked Augustana College (Ill.) in the first round on Friday, Nov. 12 at Wheaton College (Ill.).

Macalester and Northwestern are two MIAC teams that each received one of 21 at-large invitations to the national tourney. Macalester will also be hosting the first round games where Northwestern and Concordia-Moorhead will also play.

The Scots ended the regular-season with a six-match unbeaten streak and 11-5-2 overall record. The invitation books Macalester’s 15th trip to the tourney. They’ll host Wisconsin-Stevens Point (16-2-1) in one region semi-final match, while on the other side of the Macalester bracket are Concordia-Moorhead (11-4-4) and Northwestern-Minn. (13-8).

Concordia-Moorhead makes their second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament, making it all the way to the Sweet 16 round in 2009. The Cobbers were 11-4-4 on the season. This is their 3rd trip to the tournament. Concordia gets an automatic bid to the tournament with their 1-0 penalty kick shoot-out victory over Carleton in the MIAC Women’s Championship.

Northwestern earned their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance with an automatic bid after winning the UMAC Conference Championship game on November 6th. The Eagles defeated the College of St. Scholastica 1-0. Northwestern had a record of 11-3-0 and 13-8 overall, 7 points behind St. Scholastica, who finished first in the conference but did not receive a post season invitation.

Friday’s first round games are as follows: Concordia vs. Northwestern – 5 p.m. / Macalester vs. UW-Stevens Point – 7:30 p.m.  Saturday’s second round match is scheduled for 6 p.m.

On the men’s side, Macalester and Augsburg both get an invitation to the tournament and will represent the MIAC Conference, while St. Scholastica will represent the UMAC Conference. All three schools will travel to Whitewater College for their games.

Augsburg won the MIAC Championship in an exciting come-from-behind win over Concordia-Moorhead last Friday evening. The Championship gives the Auggies an automatic bid to the NCAA tourney. Augsburg enters the competition on a 7-game win streak and are now 15-4-1 overall. This is only the Auggies’ second trip to the NCAA post season tournament.

Macalester had the best conference record in MIAC and the second best overall record at 14-4-1. The Scots receive an at-large invitation to the 63-team NCAA Division III tournament after crashing out of the MIAC Championship in semifinal loss to Concordia-Moorhead. Macalester will be making their 2nd consecutive appearance in the post season tournament. The 2010 invitation marks the Scots’ 11th appearance in the playoffs.

St. Scholastica also won an automatic bid to the tournament by capturing the UMAC Championship title with a 4-1 win last weekend over University of Minn.-Morris. The Saints enter the tournament with a 17-3-2 overall record. St. Scholastica were undefeated in conference play with a 12-0-2 record.

Macalester takes on Wisconsin-Whitewater (12-2-3) in Saturday’s first round match at 5 p.m. while Augsburg will take on St. Scholastica in the evening game. The first round final will be played at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

2010 NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championships bracket (pdf)

2010 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championships bracket (pdf)