It's official – Ashland University's women's soccer team will begin the 2021 NCAA Division II postseason at home.
As announced by the NCAA on Monday (Nov. 15) night, the No. 15-ranked Eagles – 15-1-3 overall, 14-0-2 in their last 16 games and winners of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular season and tournament – will play host to a Midwest split regional on Thursday (Nov. 18) and Saturday (Nov. 20) at Ferguson Field.
"That was one of our goals, once we saw the initial regional rankings," Ashland head coach
Cayleb Paulino said of playing host to a split regional. "The girls did a fantastic job of finishing out the GMAC season. We knew if we were to win out, that we would have a really good opportunity, so we're excited."
Said senior forward
Bri Fourman, "We're excited, and I think the atmosphere on this team, it's unreal and it's unmatched. We're ready, we're prepared, and I think we're going to showcase that on Thursday."
The No. 2-seed Ashland's split regional semifinal opponent will be No. 7-seed Drury (15-4-1), and the game will be on Thursday at 1 p.m.
"They're in a really difficult conference," Paulino said. "You're not going to get a bad team. I know they're going to be prepared, and we're going to be prepared, too."
The other semifinal on Thursday will feature No. 3-seed Ferris State (15-3-3) against No. 6-seed Saginaw Valley State (13-5-2) at 10 a.m.
Saturday's split regional second-round game will be at noon. Tickets for the tournament can be purchased
HERE.
Paulino made the point to his team on Monday night to continue to go 1-0, and not look ahead to future rounds or opponents.
"If you don't take care of business on Thursday, it doesn't matter," he said.
Said Fourman, "Our upperclassman leaders, I think everybody stepped into a role that they have made it to. Cayleb stepped up, and (graduate assistant coach)
Deijah (Swihart), as well, and filled their role.
"To host, it's what we wanted and it's what we've been working for. I think we'll excite ourselves for that game, and we know what we need to do to move on."
Ashland women's soccer has played in 11 NCAA Division II postseasons (1997-2004, 2018-19 and 2021), and is 5-8-2 all-time in the D-II playoffs. The Eagles finished third in the nation after reaching the Final Four in 1998.
The NCAA Division II postseason will feature 56 teams in a single-elimination format. The 2021 NCAA Division II women's soccer championship game will be Dec. 11 at Switchbacks FC Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo.
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