Press Release: Tigers Selected To First NCAA Division III Tournament

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University women's soccer team has earned the opportunity to play in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in school history. The Tigers, fresh off a 1-0 win at home over Denison University in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship game on Saturday, were also selected to host three first- and second-round games of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

November 6, 2006

Wittenberg women's soccer players celebrate the first-ever NCAC Tournament title.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University women's soccer team has earned the opportunity to play in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in school history.

The Tigers, fresh off a 1-0 win at home over Denison University in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship game on Saturday, were also selected to host three first- and second-round games of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Wittenberg, which has a 14-3-3 overall record, will take on Otterbein College at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, or 30 minutes following the conclusion of a game scheduled for 5 p.m. between Denison University and Transylvania University. The winners of Saturday's game will return to Wittenberg's Edwards-Maurer Field for a second-round game at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12.

Click here to follow all the tournament action at Wittenberg.

After starting the season with two road losses in their first three games, the Tigers have been on a roll with a 13-1-3 record since Sept. 9, including a program-best 5-1-2 mark in the NCAC regular season, good for second place. For the season, Wittenberg is 3-3 against teams that qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Tigers, who are unbeaten in nine starts at home this year, are led offensively by Amanda Farrell, class of 2008 from Loveland, Ohio, with nine goals, including three game-winners, and Suzanne Medwid, class of 2009 from Columbus, Ohio, with 14 total points, including a team-best six assists. Defense is the team's trademark, however, with just 10 goals allowed all season for the second straight year. Leading the charge is two-time NCAC Defensive Player of the Year Jamie McIntyre, class of 2007 from Columbus, Ohio, and the new school record-holder for career shutouts, Meghan O'Rourke, class of 2008 from Columbus, Ohio.

This four-team portion of the 60-team NCAA Division III Tournament bracket figures to be extremely challenging. Otterbein won the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season championship and brings a 15-2-3 overall record into the competition. Transylvania won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles and has a 16-1 overall record. Denison, one of three NCAC teams in the tourney, is 14-4-1 overall and was ranked as high as No. 4 during the regular season.