INDIANAPOLIS — West Virginia Wesleyan College will represent the Mountain East Conference in the 2018 NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Tournament.
The Lady Bobcats posted a 13-1-4 record in the regular season and claimed the MEC South Division title. Wesleyan also won the conference tournament title by getting past Concord in penalty kicks on Sunday.
WVWC earned the No. 6 seed in the tournament and will play third-seeded Kutztown in the opening round. The winner will get second-seeded West Chester.
Overall, the Atlantic, South and South Central regions received six championship berths. The Southeast and West regions received seven championship berths. The Central, East and Midwest regions received eight championship berths. Championship berths were determined based on the number of institutions sponsoring the sport in each region.
For first- and second-round competition, teams will compete at three- or four-team sites. Depending on the number of regional berths, the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds may have a bye in the first round. In regions with six berths, teams will be paired in their respective regions with the No. 4 seed playing the No. 5 seed; and the No. 3 seed facing the No. 6 seed. The winner of the No. 4/5 seed game will advance to play the No. 1 seed and the winner of the No. 3/6 seed game will take on the No. 2 seed. In regions with seven berths, the No. 2 seed will play the No. 7 seed in the first round. In regions with eight berths, the No. 1 seed will play the No. 8 seed in the first round.
First round matches will take place Thursday, Nov. 8 or Friday, Nov. 9 and second round matches will take place either Saturday, Nov. 10 or Sunday, Nov. 11. All games will be played on the campus of a participating institution and will consist of two sites per region. The two finalists in each subregion will advance to third- and quarterfinal-round competition to be played Thursday, Nov. 15 or Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17 or Sunday, Nov. 18. The semifinals and championship games will take place Nov. 29 and Dec. 1 at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh hosted by Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, and SportsPITTSBURGH.
In the 2017 NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer national championship game Central Missouri defeated Carson-Newman to win the program’s first national title. Central Missouri scored the equalizer in the 90thminute to force overtime, but twenty minutes of overtime proved not enough. The Jennies finally prevailed on penalty kicks, 5-3.
The first-round sites and team matchups are as follows. All matches are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 9 and Sunday, Nov. 11, unless otherwise noted.
Atlantic Region
Millersville (14-5-0) vs. East Stroudsburg (14-6-1);
*Bloomsburg (15-2-3) vs. Winner of Millersville/East Stroudsburg.
Kutztown (14-4-1) vs. West Va. Wesleyan (13-1-4);
*West Chester (13-4-2) vs. Winner of Kutztown/West Va. Wesleyan.
Central Region
Minnesota St. (18-2-1) vs. Emporia St. (14-5-1);
*Central Okla. (20-1-0) vs. Okla. Baptist (15-4-1);
Winner of Minnesota St./Emporia St. vs. Winner of Central Okla./Okla. Baptist.
Central Mo. (16-4-1) vs. Augustana (SD) (12-5-3);
*Bemidji St. (17-0-2) vs. Minot St. (13-5-3);
Winner of Central Mo./Augustana (SD) vs. Winner of Bemidji St./Minot St.
East Region
Southern N.H. (14-4-2) vs. LIU Post (13-3-3);
*Franklin Pierce (15-1-2) vs. Caldwell (12-6-1);
Winner of Southern N.H./LIU Post vs. Winner of Franklin Pierce/Caldwell.
Mercy (12-3-1) vs. Saint Rose (13-4-3);
*Bridgeport (14-4-1) vs. Stonehill (13-6-0);
Winner of Mercy/Saint Rose vs. Winner of Bridgeport/Stonehill.
Midwest Region
Walsh (14-4-1) vs. Saginaw Valley (12-3-4);
*Grand Valley St. (20-0-1) vs. Rockhurst (11-7-2);
Winner of Walsh/Saginaw Valley vs. Winner of Grand Valley St./Rockhurst.
Ohio Valley (16-2-3) vs. Ashland (10-4-5);
*#Ferris St. (15-3-3) vs. McKendree (13-4-1);
Winner of Ohio Valley/Ashland vs. Winner of Ferris St./McKendree.
South Region
Lee (13-6-1) vs. Rollins (9-3-5);
*West Florida (20-0-0) vs. Winner of Lee/Rollins.
Mississippi Col. (14-3-0) vs. Nova Southeastern (13-6-1);
*Barry (16-0-1) vs. Winner of Mississippi Col./Nova Southeastern.
Southeast Region
Flagler (11-3-2) vs. Limestone (17-2-0);
*Columbus St. (16-0-2) vs. Winner of Flagler/Limestone.
Lander (12-2-2) vs. Lincoln Memorial (14-4-0);
*Carson-Newman (14-4-0) vs. Catawba (13-5-0);
Winner of Lander/Lincoln Memorial vs. Winner of Carson-Newman/Catawba.
South Central Region
Westminster (UT) (15-3-2) vs. DBU (12-5-3);
*Colo. Sch. of Mines (19-1-1) vs. Winner of Westminster (UT)/DBU.
UC-Colo. Springs (15-3-2) vs. Angelo St. (12-6-2);
*West Tex. A&M (15-3-1) vs. Winner of UC-Colo. Springs/Angelo St.
West Region
Point Loma (15-1-1) vs. Chico St. (10-1-6);
*UC San Diego (17-2-1) vs. Winner of Point Loma/Chico St.
Western Wash. (16-3-1) vs. Sonoma St. (11-4-4);
*Concordia Portland (14-1-3) vs. Seattle Pacific (12-5-2);
Winner of Western Wash./Sonoma St. vs. Winner of Concordia Portland/Seattle Pacific.
Note: * Denotes host institution.
# Denotes contests will be played Thursday, Nov. 8 and Saturday, Nov. 10.
