Fayette, Mo. – The No. 8 Central Methodist women's soccer team is set to compete in the NAIA Opening Round for the fourth consecutive season. CMU has been slotted in the Marion, Ind. bracket, earning the No. 1 seed.
They will square off against No. 4 College of Idaho Thursday, April 15 at 3:00 p.m. The bracket also features No. 2 seed and host Indiana Wesleyan, and No. 3 seed Georgia Gwinnett, who play each other on April 15 at 5:30 p.m.
Central enters the national tournament with an 18-3 record overall. Indiana Wesleyan is 9-2-3, Georgia Gwinnett 8-5-1, and College of Idaho 8-3-2.
The Eagles claimed their place at the national tournament after winning the Heart of America regular-season championship this past fall. The Eagles also won the conference tournament for the second straight season, defeating No. 23 Missouri Valley by a score of 1-0, this past Saturday. So far this season, Central has defeated five ranked opponents, including No. 5 Marian, No. 12 Oklahoma Wesleyan, No. 14 Grace, No. 23 Missouri Valley, and (RV) Benedictine.
Central leads the NAIA in three statistical categories including total assists (80), total goals (100), and total shutouts (14). Central Methodist (Mo.) and No. 5 Marian (Ind.) lead all teams in the NAIA National Tournament with 18 wins.
College of Idaho earned its spot in the NAIA National Tournament after winning the Cascade Collegiate Conference East Division. The Yotes are the No. 30 seed overall, marking their first appearance in the dance. The lone top-25 team the Yotes have played this season is No. 16 Eastern Oregon, posting a 1-0-1 record. C of I is in the top-40 in two statistical categories (Assists and Assists/game).
This marks the eighth national tourney appearance in program histroy for Indiana Wesleyan, who earned an at-large bid. The Wildcats have played four top-25 opponents this season, including ties against No. 14 Grace and (RV) Mt. Vernon, and losses to No. 5 Marian and No. 7 Spring Arbor.
Georgia Gwinnett makes their fifth appearance to the championship, earning their spot after claiming the A.I.I. Tournament title. They enter as the No. 25 seed overall and have faced five ranked teams in 2020-21. The Grizzlies fell to No. 1 William Carey, No. 6 Cumberlands, No. 24 Middle Georgia State, (RV) Bethel, and defeated (RV) Truett-McConnel.
To view additional Opening Round information in the Marion bracket, please see below.
WATCH:
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/Indianawesleyan/
LIVE STATS:
BRACKET:
TICKET INFORMATION:
Adult ........................................$10
Children (5 & under) .................FREE
*General Admission Tickets will go on sale Tuesday, April 13 at 10 a.m. FOR ALL GAMES
*Each team has been reserved a block of tickets and should consult their school for information on how to purchase those tickets
Seating and COVID Safety Measures: 1. Masks must be worn at all times while at Wildcat Stadium. 2. Fans are required to keep six feet of distance between other parties. 3. There will be no concessions available. 4. After your game is complete, please promptly exit the facility. The stadium will be cleared after each game. 5) Gates will not open until 30-minutes prior to the start of the game.
Event Policy: All sales are final. If the event is canceled, a refund for the face value of the ticket may be issued at the discretion of the athletic department. No other refunds will be issued.
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