2016 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship Qualifiers & Opening Round Schedule Announced - Cascade Collegiate Conference Skip To Main Content

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2016 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship Qualifiers & Opening Round Schedule Announced

2016 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship Qualifiers & Opening Round Schedule Announced

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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’ 16th-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.

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