2016 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship Qualifiers & Opening Round Schedule Announced
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Championship Schedule | Video Announcement | Bracket) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has officially announced the teams and Opening Round pairings for the 2016 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship. The 31-team event will get underway with 15 National Championship Opening Round matches at campus locations on Nov. 19.
The 2016 Opening Round winners and national championship final site host Mobile (Ala.) advance to the final site in Orange Beach, Ala. Action at the Orange Beach Sportsplex runs Nov. 28 – Dec. 3.
This year’s opening round field includes 23 automatic qualifiers, seven at-large selections and one host berth. Automatic berths were given to teams that either won their respective conference tournament title, regular-season championship or finished runner-up at the conference tournament. The at-large bids were determined by the final Modified Ratings Percentage Index (MRPI) announced Monday. The MRPI can be found HERE.
The NAIA Network – the association’s official video streaming home – will broadcast all 15 matches live at the 2016 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship final site in Orange Beach, Ala. The video platform, powered by Stretch Internet, allows users access to live video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-championship tournament package is available at $29.95. For more information and to pre-register, click HERE
Qualifier Highlights
• Westmont (Calif.) makes its 19th all-time appearance, which leads all 2016 qualifiers. Westmont owns a 33-8-8 overall record at the championship and has accounted for the most championships all-time with five.
• There are 18 teams from the 2015 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship in the field again this year.
• Four teams make their first championship appearance – Cardinal Stritch (Wis.), Marymount California, MidAmerica Nazarene (Calif.) and Rochester (Mich.).
• Defending national champion Spring Arbor (Mich.) makes its eighth all-time appearance. The Cougars are looking for their second-straight National Championship title as it rides a 38-match unbeaten streak.
• Six teams are tied for the most wins this season at 18 – Benedictine (Kan.) (18-3-0), Columbia (Mo.) (18-1-2), John Brown (Ark.) (18-1-1), Northwestern Ohio (18-2-1). Ottawa (Kan.) (18-3-0) and Spring Arbor (18-0-1).
• The last time a team won back-to-back championships was former NAIA member Lee (Tenn.). Lee won four titles in a row from 2008 to 2011.
• There are five teams included in the opening round field that have won a championship title – Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (4), Martin Methodist (Tenn.) (2), Mobile (Ala.) (1), Spring Arbor (1) and Westmont (5).
• The Golden State Athletic Conference, Heart of America Athletic Conference and the Southern States Athletic Conference lead all leagues with three teams represented in the field.
• Lindsey Wilson holds the longest active streaks of appearances in the championships, as 2016 will mark the Blue Raiders’ 16
th-consecutive appearance, dating back to 2001.
• Martin Methodist (Tenn.) has the second longest active streak of consecutive appearances with 13 dating back to 2004.
2016 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship Qualifiers
| School |
Qualification |
Season Record |
Appearances |
Last Time |
Tournament Record |
Titles |
Cosecutive Appearances |
| Baker (Kan.) |
At-Large No. 5 |
14-3-2 |
5th |
2015 |
7-3-1 |
0 |
2nd |
| Benedictine (Kan.) |
Heart of America Athletic Conference regular season champion |
18-3-0 |
5th |
2015 |
5-3-1 |
0 |
3rd |
| Biola (Calif.) |
At-Large No. 1 |
15-1-2 |
3rd |
2015 |
2-2-0 |
0 |
2nd |
| Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) |
Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season champion |
14-5-0 |
1st |
N/A |
0-0-0 |
0 |
1st |
| Carroll (Mont.) |
Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament champion |
12-3-5 |
4th |
2015 |
1-3-0 |
0 |
2nd |
| Columbia (Mo.) |
American Midwest Conference tournament champion |
18-1-2 |
4th |
2015 |
0-2-1 |
0 |
4th |
| Concordia (Neb.) |
Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament champion |
15-5-1 |
2nd |
2014 |
0-1-0 |
0 |
1st |
| Cumberland (Tenn.) |
At-Large No. 7 |
12-4-2 |
4th |
2014 |
4-3-0 |
0 |
1st |
| Hastings (Neb.) |
At-Large No. 4 |
17-2-1 |
7th |
2015 |
4-6-2 |
0 |
4th |
| John Brown (Ark.) |
Sooner Athletic Conference tournament champion |
18-1-1 |
4th |
2013 |
0-3-0 |
0 |
1st |
| Kansas Wesleyan |
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament runner-up |
16-2-3 |
6th |
2015 |
2-5-2 |
0 |
2nd |
| Keiser (Fla.) |
The Sun Conference tournament champion |
17-1-1 |
11th |
2015 |
12-10-0 |
0 |
6th |
| Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
Mid-South Conference tournament champion |
15-3-0 |
18th |
2015 |
40-14-2 |
4 |
16th |
| Martin Methodist (Tenn.) |
At-Large No. 2 |
13-2-3 |
13th |
2015 |
19-8-3 |
2 |
13th |
| Marymount California |
California Pacific Conference tournament champion |
11-9-0 |
1st |
N/A |
0-0-0 |
0 |
1st |
| MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
Heat of America Athletic Conference tournament runner-up |
12-4-5 |
1st |
N/A |
0-0-0 |
0 |
1st |
| Mobile (Ala.) |
Final Site Host berth |
15-3-2 |
11th |
2015 |
13-8-1 |
1 |
7th |
| Northwest (Wash.) |
Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament runner-up |
12-6-2 |
1st |
N/A |
0-0-0 |
0 |
1st |
| Northwestern Ohio |
Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament champion |
18-2-1 |
3rd |
2015 |
7-2-0 |
0 |
3rd |
| Ottawa (Kan.) |
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament champion |
18-3-0 |
5th |
2014 |
0-4-0 |
0 |
1st |
| Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) |
Red River Athletic Conference tournament champion |
17-2-1 |
4th |
2015 |
0-2-1 |
0 |
4th |
| Park (Mo.) |
American Midwest Conference tournament runner-up |
13-4-1 |
11th |
2015 |
4-11-2 |
0 |
2nd |
| Point Park (Pa.) |
River States Conference tournament champion |
10-7-2 |
2nd |
2015 |
0-1-0 |
0 |
2nd |
| Reinhardt (Ga.) |
At-Large No. 6 |
15-2-1 |
5th |
2015 |
0-4-0 |
0 |
4th |
| Robert Morris (Ill.) |
Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament champion |
13-4-2 |
9th |
2013 |
9-8-1 |
0 |
1st |
| Rochester (Mich.) |
Association of Independent Institutions tournament champion |
9-7-4 |
1st |
N/A |
0-0-0 |
0 |
1st |
| Spring Arbor (Mich.) |
Crossroads League tournament champion |
18-0-1 |
8th |
2015 |
9-5-2 |
1 |
7th |
| Tennessee Wesleyan |
Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament champion |
13-5-2 |
2nd |
2010 |
0-1-0 |
0 |
1st |
| Vanguard (Calif.) |
Golden State Athletic Conference tournament champion |
16-3-0 |
6th |
2015 |
3-2-4 |
0 |
5th |
| Westmont (Calif.) |
At-Large No. 3 |
16-3-0 |
19th |
2014 |
33-8-8 |
5 |
6th |
| William Carey (Miss.) |
Southern States Athletic Conference tournament champion |
15-4-0 |
8th |
2014 |
7-7-1 |
0 |
1st |
|
^ Record taken from school's DakStats page
% All data includes the 2016 Opening Round
Opening Round Schedule
Saturday, Nov. 19 | Campus Sites
Match 1 – Rochester (Mich.) (9-7-4) at Spring Arbor (Mich.) (18-0-1)
Match 2 – Point Park (Pa.) (10-7-2) at Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (15-3-0)
Match 3 – Concordia (Neb.) (15-5-1) at Keiser (Fla.) (17-1-1)
Match 4 – Robert Morris (Ill.) (13-4-2) at William Carey (Miss.) (15-4-0)
Match 5 – Northwest (Wash.) (12-6-2) at Biola (Calif.) (15-1-2)
Match 6 – Tennessee Wesleyan (13-5-2) at Northwestern Ohio (18-2-1)
Match 7 – Marymount California (11-9-0) at Vanguard (Calif.) (16-3-0)
Match 8 – Park (Mo.) (13-4-1) at Martin Methodist (Tenn.) (13-2-3)
Match 9 – Carroll (Mont.) (12-3-5) at Westmont (Calif.) (16-3-0)
Match 10 – Ottawa (Kan.) (18-3-0) at Hastings (Neb.) (17-2-1)
Match 11 – Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) (14-5-0) at Benedictine (Kan.) (18-3-0)
Match 12 – Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) (17-2-1) at Baker (Kan.) (14-3-2)
Match 13 – MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) (12-4-5) at Reinhardt (Ga.) (15-2-1)
Match 14 – Kansas Wesleyan (16-2-3) at Columbia (Mo.) (18-1-2)
Match 15 – John Brown (Ark.) (18-1-1) at Cumberland (Tenn.) (12-4-2)
For more information on the 2016 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship Opening Round and final site, click here.