Lincoln Memorial, Carson-Newman, Tusculum Advance To NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Committee today announced the field of 48 teams for the 2007 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship, with Lincoln Memorial, Carson-Newman and Tusculum advancing from the South Atlantic Conference.

Lincoln Memorial received the South Atlantic Conference automatic bid after winning the Food Lion SAC Tournament in a penalty kick shootout against Catawba. Lincoln Memorial will face Armstrong Atlantic State on Friday. The winner of that match will face Tusculum on Sunday.

Columbus State and Queens will meet in another match on Friday, with the winner of that match facing Carson-Newman on Sunday.

Tusculum (14-6) is the defending regional champion as the Pioneers advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2006. The Pioneers have won five of their last six matches.

The Carson-Newman Lady Eagles are making their fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. C-N's best finish was third in 2005.

Each of the eight regions received six championship berths. Nineteen automatic berths are awarded for the Division II championship.

For first- and second-round competition, teams will be paired in their respective regions with the No. 4 seed playing the No. 5 seed; and the No. 3 seed playing the No. 6 seed Friday, November 9. 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 play the No. 2 seed on Sunday, November 11. The Far West region (Seattle Pacific site) will play first round games on Thursday, November 8 and its second round game on Saturday, November 10. 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 region will advance to the third- and quarterfinal-round competition to be played Friday, November 16 and Sunday, November 18. The semifinals and championship games will be played November 29 and December 1 at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Southeast Region

Friday, November 9
at Armstrong Atlantic State (Savannah, Ga.)

No. 5 Lincoln Memorial (14-4-1) at Armstrong Atlantic State* (14-4-1), 1 p.m.

Sunday, November 11
at Armstrong Atlantic State (Savannah, Ga.)

Lincoln Memorial/Armstrong Atlantic State winner vs. and Tusculum (12-5), 1 p.m.

Friday, November 9
at Columbus State (Columbus, Ga.)

Queens (North Carolina) (7-10-4) at Columbus State* (17-3-1), TBA

Sunday, November 11
at Columbus State (Columbus, Ga.)

Queens/Columbus State winner vs. Carson-Newman, 1 p.m.