Garnet Soccer Receives At-Large Bid to NCAA Tournament; Will Host First and Second Round Matches
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The No. 7/10 Swarthmore men's soccer team has received an at-large bid to the 2009 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship and will host first and second round matches on November 14-15 at Clothier Field.
The first match will feature Hobart (14-3-2) - the champion of the Liberty League - vs. St. Joseph's of Long Island (13-8) - the champion of the Skyline Conference - at 5:00 p.m on Saturday, November 14. The second match will feature the host Garnet (14-2-2) against the Merchant Marine Academy (15-3), an at-large bid recipient from the Landmark Conference, at 7:30 p.m.
The winners of the first-round matches will advance to second-round action on Sunday, November 15. Action is slated for 6:00 p.m.
Swarthmore, currently ranked No. 7 in the D3soccer.com soccer poll and No.10 in the NSCAA poll, makes its fifth appearance in the national tournament and will host the NCAA Championships' first and second round for the second consecutive season. The Garnet previously appeared in 1974 (national finalist), 1990, 1991 and 2008. In 2008, the Garnet advanced to the Sweet 16.
Merchant Marine, currently ranked No. 25 in the D3soccer.com poll and No.4 in the Division III Mid-Atlantic Region according to the NSCAA, makes its third appearance in the national tournament. The Mariners finished the season at 15-3, reaching the semifinals of the Landmark Conference championships.
Hobart, currently ranked No.4 in the Division III East Region according to the NSCAA, advanced to the NCAA Tournament after capturing its first Liberty League championship with a 2-1 (2 OT) win over Union. The Statesmen finished the season with a 14-3-2 record.
St. Joseph's (Long Island) is in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season and after winning back-to-back Skyline Conference championships.