Spring Arbor and Marian to Represent CL in NAIA National Tourney
KANSAS CITY – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics officially unveiled the teams and Opening Round pairings for the 2017 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Tournament Championships, with Spring Arbor and Marian each making the 31-team field.
No. 3 Spring Arbor (19-1-1) secured the Crossroads League’s sole automatic bid by winning the regular season title. The Cougars will host Asbury (14-4-1) in the Opening Round, with a 3:00 pm match on November 18.
No. 14 Marian (15-3-3) earned one of only six available at-large bids into the tournament, after going unbeaten in league play and falling to No. 3 SAU in double overtime of the CL Tournament Championship. The Knights will host No. 11 Central Methodist (16-2-2) in a 7:00 pm clash on November 18.
The action will begin on Saturday, November 18, with 15 matches held at various campus sites around the nation. The 15 winners and host, Mobile, will then head to Orange Beach, Alabama and the Orange Beach Sportsplex to compete in a 16-team, single-elimination tournament from November 27 through December 2, with the national championship match slated for 3:00 pm (ET).