Titans Receive 13th NCAA Postseason Invitation
UW-Oshkosh is back as a participant in the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship following its selection to the 61-team tournament on Monday (Nov. 11).
The Titans begin their postseason journey at the Waverly Regional in Waverly, Iowa. Action begins at 5 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 15) with Dominican University (Ill.) battling host Wartburg College. That contest will be followed by a 7:30 p.m. game between UW-Oshkosh and Hope College (Mich.).
The championship match of the Waverly Regional is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 16). The winner of that contest advances to a four-team sectional tournament on Nov. 22-24.
Winners of the four sectionals will then advance to the semifinals on Dec. 6 in San Antonio, Texas. The national championship game will be played Dec. 7, also in San Antonio.
UW-Oshkosh, ranked ninth in the country by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, enters Friday's match against Hope College with a 15-1-4 record. The Titans finished second in the WIAC after losing a 2-1 decision to UW-Superior in the championship match of the league's tournament held Nov. 8.
UW-Oshkosh's meeting with Hope College will be the sixth in history, but just the first since 2003. The Titans own a 2-2-1 record against the Flying Dutchmen and marks of 3-2-1 against Dominican University and 2-0-1 against Wartburg College. UW-Oshkosh posted a 2-1 victory over Wartburg College on Sept. 15 in Oshkosh.
UW-Oshkosh makes its 13th appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship after advancing to the semifinals in 1994, 2000, 2003 and 2010. The Titans also advanced to the third round in 2007. Other appearances for UW-Oshkosh were in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001 and 2002. UW-Oshkosh's all-time record in NCAA postseason play is 19-10-3 (.641 winning percentage).
Hope College owns a 16-4-2 record as a second-place finisher in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). The Flying Dutch earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship after edging Calvin College (Mich.), 5-4, on penalty kicks in the title game of the MIAA Tournament held Nov. 9. It's the 13th NCAA postseason appearance (7-10-4 record) for Hope College.
Dominican University has a 12-4-2 record as both the regular season and tournament champion of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC). The Stars picked up an a automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship after defeating Edgewood College, 3-0, in the title match of the NACC Tournament held Nov. 9. Dominican University is making its 12th NCAA postseason appearance (14-10-3 record).
Wartburg College possesses a 15-4-2 record as a tri-champion of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC). The Knights received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship following their 1-0 loss to Loras College (Iowa) in the title match of the IIAC Tournament held Nov. 9. Wartburg College is involved in NCAA postseason play for the eighth time (7-5-1 record).
Forty-one conferences were awarded automatic qualification for the championship. One team (UW-Oshkosh) 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.
Messiah College (Pa.) is the defending national champion.