KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Bracket – Live Stats –Schedule) The 33rd annual NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship Opening Round will see 30 teams participate in 15 matches at campus locations on Saturday, November 19. The 15 Opening Round champions, along with tournament host Mobile (Ala.), will advance to the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship final site taking place Nov. 28-Dec. 3 at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Ala.
The 15 Opening Round hosts include: Baker (Kan.), Benedictine (Kan.), Biola (Calif.), Columbia (Mo.), Cumberland (Tenn.), Hastings (Neb.), Keiser (Fla.), Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), Martin Methodist (Tenn.), Northwestern Ohio, Reinhardt (Ga.), Spring Arbor (Mich.), Vanguard (Calif.), Westmont (Calif.) and William Carey (Miss.).
Defending national champion Spring Arbor (18-0-1) claimed the No. 1 seed in the 2016 for the first time in program history. The Cougars are making their seventh-straight championship appearance and eighth all-time. Spring Arbor brings is riding a 38-match unbeaten streak, as the Cougars enter their opening round matchup against Rochester (Mich.), which is making its first ever championship appearance, on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. EST.
In addition to Rochester, there are three other rookies to the 2016 Opening Round: Cardinal Stritch (Wis.), Marymount California and MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.).
Lindsey Wilson holds the longest active streak of appearances in the championships, as 2016 will mark the Blue Raiders’ 16th-consecutive appearance dating back to 2001. Behind the Blue Raiders sits Martin Methodist with the second longest active streak of consecutive appearances with 13 dating back to 2004.
Two of the top three national goal scorers look to add to their totals on Saturday. Emily Key of Park (Mo.) and Camilia Andersen of Northwestern Ohio are tied for second at 31 goals each. Key is averaging 1.72 goals per game over an 18-match span, while Andersen is averaging 1.48 goals per game over the last 21 matches. On the defensive side, Ashley Timmons of Spring Arbor leads the NAIA in goals against average (0.20), followed by Flavia Rosado of Columbia with (0.27).
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 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. All win/loss/tie records for NAIA schools are through regular season games played.
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
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.) (15-3-2)
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), 5:30 p.m. CT
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.
^ Record taken from school’s DakStats page
* Championship information includes 2016 event