Hanover Women's Soccer to Meet Loras (IA) in NCAA Tournament Opener

Tournament Bracket (click here)

Release courtesy of Hanover College

HANOVER, IN - The Hanover College women's soccer team will battle Loras College (Iowa), Saturday, Nov. 12, in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament. The contest will be played in Dubuque, Iowa at 1:30 PM (Central).

Hanover, 15-2-2 overall, is making its first appearance in the NCAA tournament in the program's 17-year history. The Panthers earned the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference's automatic berth in the NCAA tournament with two victories in the league's post-season tournament, including a 1-0 decision against Bluffton University (Ohio) in the finale.

Under head coach Jim Watts, Hanover shared the HCAC's regular-season championship with Earlham College. Both teams posted 8-1 league marks.

Loras, a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, is 17-2-1. The Duhawks grabbed the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA field with a 2-1 win against Wartburg College (Iowa) in the tourney's title match.

Loras, ranked No. 10 in the nation, shared the IIAC's regular-season title with Wartburg. Each team posted a 7-0-1 league record.

The Hanover-Loras victor will play Sunday, Nov. 13, against the winner of a battle between the College of Saint Benedict (Minn.) and Carroll University (Wis.).

Carroll, 11-8-1, earned a tournament berth with a 2-1 win against St. Norbert College (Wis.) in the final game of the Midwest Conference Tournament.

Saint Benedict is 12-6-2 and posted a 1-0 victory against Concordia College (Minn.) to snag the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's title.

The semifinals and championship of the NCAA's 64-team national tournament will be held Dec. 2-3 at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio, Texas.