SCAC Soccer Teams Prepare for NCAA Tournament (Audio)

SUWANEE, Ga. - For the first time since the 1999 season, the SCAC has multiple men's and women's soccer teams competiting in the postseason.

SCAC automatic qualifier 20th-ranked Oglethorpe University (17-3-0) and at-large and regular season champion fifth-ranked Trinity University (14-1-2) will represent the conference on the men's side. On the women's side, SCAC regular season and tournament champion third-ranked Trinity University (20-0-0) is joined in the field by tournament runner-up 22nd-ranked Centre College (14-4-2).

The league has not sent multiple men's teams to the tournament field since 2000. And although the women's side has had multiple teams in the field in 2001 (2), 2005 (3), 2006 (2) and 2008 (2), both sides haven't had this much combined success since the Trinity University men and women along with the Centre College men and DePauw University women all made the field in 1999.

Oglethorpe's men begin play Thursday evening (6 p.m. CST) at American Southwest Conference champion, University of Texas-Tyler (15-2-2). The winner travels to San Antonio to take on Trinity University on Sunday at 1 p.m. CST.

On the women's side, both Centre and Trinity begin play on Saturday, November 12. 

The Colonels will square off against Roanoke College at 5 p.m. EST on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The Maroons finished 14-5-1 on the season and fell to Virginia Wesleyan in the semifinals of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament.

Trinity (20-0-0) opens play against the College of St. Scholastica at home as the Tigers are set to host the first and second rounds of the tournament. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. CT.

The Saints finished the regular season 16-4-1 after winning the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament Championship defeating University of Minnesota-Morris 2-1.

If Trinity wins, the Tigers would play the winner of Hardin-Simmons (19-1) and Texas-Dallas (16-4) who play on Saturday at 5 p.m. CST.

In preparation for this weekend's action, Russell Kramer, SCAC Director of Communications/New Media, caught up with all four head coaches from the SCAC.

To listen to the interview with Oglethorpe's Jon Akin, click here. To listen to the interview with Trinity's Paul McGinlay, click here.

To listen to the interview with Trinity's Lance Key, click here. To listen to the interview with Centre's Jay Hoffman, click here.