Men's Soccer Earn Bid to NCAA Division III Championships

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Committee announced the field of 62 teams for the 2016 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship, which begins Friday and concludes with the national championship December 3. The University of Dubuque (13-5 overall) received a Pool C berth and will play the Westminster College Bluejays in the opening round on Sept. 12 at 5:00 p.m. Westminster (15-3-1) won the SLIAC Tournament and received the automatic bid and will play their fourth consecutive time in the NCAA tournament. The University of Chicago (16-0-2 overall, University Athletic Association record of 5-0-2) are the host for the first and second round of the tournament. The winner of the UD/WC game will play #1-ranked U of Chicago Maroons in the second round. 

"I thought our team did well throughout the season and believed we had an opportunity to get an at large bid," commented head coach Brad Johnson. "Our guys are deserving of it and we are looking forward to going to NCAA Tournament. Every team who qualified will be a good challenge and were looking forward to the experience for our guys."

Forty-two conferences were awarded automatic qualification for the 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 19 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 tournament games leading up to the national semifinals will be played on the campuses of the competing institutions. Two sites will host three teams for first- and second- round competition November 11 and 12 or 12 and 13. Fourteen sites will host four teams for first-and second-round competition November 11 and 12 or 12 and 13.

Second-round winners will advance to one of four sectional sites November 18 and 19 or 19 and 20. Winners of the four sectionals will advance to the national semifinals, which take place December 2 at Kerr Stadium in Salem, Virginia, with Roanoke College, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the City of Salem serving as co-hosts. The national championship game will be played December 3. The Division III women’s soccer national semifinals and championship games will also be held at Kerr Stadium December 2 and 3.

Conferences and Teams Receiving Automatic Qualification (42):

Pool B Berths (1):
Wisconsin-Whitewater

Pool C Berths (19):
Babson
Brandeis
Carnegie Mellon
Chapman
DePauw
Elizabethtown
Franklin & Marshall
Kean
Ohio Northern
Ohio Wesleyan
Rowan
Rutgers-Newark
St. Lawrence
SUNY Oneonta
Tufts
Dubuque
Rochester (New York)
Washington and Lee
Washington U. in St. Louis

Log on to www.NCAA.com for more information regarding the 2016 championship, including the complete bracket with dates and sites. Amherst is the defending national champion.

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