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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament champion Southwestern University (16-4-1) earned its first-ever bid into the 64-team NCAA Div. III Women’s Soccer Tournament, while Trinity University (15-3-1) received its 10th-straight bid into the championship field after receiving one of the 20 at-large bids. This year marks the first year since 2011 the SCAC will be represented by two teams in the national field. Interactive bracket
Southwestern claimed its first SCAC Women’s Soccer Tournament Championship title on Sunday, outlasting Trinity in a penalty shootout. After 110 minutes of action couldn’t break a 0-0 tie, the Pirates defeated the Tigers in penalty kicks (5-4).
Southwestern will travel to Abilene, Texas for its NCAA opening round contest against site host Hardin-Simmons (17-2-1), the automatic qualifier out of the American Southwest Conference (ASC). The Cowgirls are making their 17th-straight NCAA appearance. On the other side of the bracket, Trinity takes on Pacific Lutheran (16-2-2) which also received an at-large bid out of the Northwest Conference. The Lutes will be making their third NCAA appearance in the last four years. The winners of the two opening round contests will meet in the second round with a trip to the sectionals on the line.
Fifth-year head coach Linda Hamilton will guide Southwestern into its first-ever NCAA appearance. Forwards Alexis Guajardo, Maya Fuller and Juliet Pridgen led the Pirates offensive attack, combining for 20 goals and six assists for a total of 46 points. The trio have combined for 46.6 percent of the Pirate’s goals to this point. On the defensive side of the ball, SCAC Most Outstanding Defensive Player-of-the-Tournament, Mary Cardone collected 104 saves and allowed just 12 goals in 1868:36 minutes of action with a 0.58 goals-against-average and a .897 save percentage.
Trinity, which holds a 29-18-10 record in NCAA postseason play, will be led by fourth-year head coach Dylan Harrison. The Tigers got strong performances this season from first team all-SCAC honorees Camryn Beall and Kaity Ward as the duo combined for 16 goals and dished out eight assists for 40 total points. On the defensive side of the ball, Trinity is led by two-time SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year, Kristen Canepa who anchored a defense that has allowed just eight goals all season and sustains a 0.44 goals-against-average.
Forty-three conferences were awarded automatic qualification for the 2019 championship. One team was selected from Pool B, which consists of independent institutions, as well as members of conferences that do not meet the requirements for automatic qualification. The final 20 berths were reserved for Pool C, which includes institutions from automatic-qualifying conferences that did not win their conference championship and any remaining Pool B teams.
All games, except the semifinals and final, will be played on the campuses of competing institutions. Winners of the four sectionals will advance to the semifinals December 6 and 7, at UNCG Soccer Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina, with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Greensboro Sports Foundation serving as hosts.
