MIAC teams fare well in first weekend of NCAA Division III Fall Playoffs
http://www.miac-online.org/news/2011/11/13/MIAC_1113114735.aspx
ST. PAUL, Minn. --
The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) had a
total of seven teams competing over the weekend in the opening
rounds of the 2011 NCAA Division III Fall Playoffs, and the
conferce was well-represented with six teams advancing to the
second round, and three teams still alive in the battle for a
national championship.
The University of St. Thomas volleyball team and the women's soccer
teams from the College of Saint Benedict and Concordia University
all survived the weekend to advance in their respective
tournaments. The Tommies won three matches to advance to the
volleyball Elite Eight for the second-straight season, while the
Blazers and Cobbers each won twice to reach the women's soccer
Sweet 16. Both tournaments will resume next weekend.
The Tommie volleyball team emerged from an eight-team regional,
hosted by fellow MIAC school Concordia in Moorhead. Four of the
teams in the field were from the conference. Saint Benedict was the
only team to lose in the first round as they suffered a close 3-2
setback to St. Scholastica. The Tommies beat UW-Eau Claire 3-2,
Bethel advanced to the second round with a 3-0 win over
Northwestern and the host Cobbers beat UW-Stevens Point 3-2 to
advance.
In the second round, St. Thomas prevailed over St. Scholastica,
3-2, to earn a spot in Sunday's regional final. The host Concordia
team took care of business against its conference rival, beating
Bethel 3-0 in its second-round match. However, the third time was
the charm for the Tommies against the Cobbers. After Concordia beat
UST in the regular season and in the MIAC Volleyball Playoff
championship match, the Tommies earned a measure of revenge with a
3-0 win over the Cobbers for another trip to St. Louis for the
Elite Eight.
Two MIAC teams are among the final 16 in women's soccer as well, as
Saint Benedict and Concordia both won twice this weekend. The
Blazers opened with a thrilling win over Carroll. The two teams
were tied 0-0 after two overtimes, and CSB won the shootout 5-4 to
advance to the second round. It followed with a 2-1 win over Loras
Sunday to move on. The Cobbers also scored a shootout win Saturday,
beating Puget Sound in PKs 3-1 after the game ended with a 1-1 tie.
Concordia won again in dramatic fashion on Sunday, scoring a 2-1
win over UC-Santa Barbara in overtime.
St. Olaf looked impressive Saturday in the men's soccer bracket,
advancing to the second round with a 3-1 win over Carroll College,
but the MIAC champs couldn't find the back of the net Sunday,
losing a 1-0 match to Luther College to close the book on their
17-4-1 season.
The three remaining MIAC teams will resume NCAA Tournament play
next weekend. St. Thomas will face Eastern on Thursday in St. Louis
for a spot in the national volleyball semifinals. The two soccer
teams will play either Thursday or Friday, with Saint Benedict
facing Washington-St. Louis with a spot in the quarterfinals on the
line, while Concordia will take on SUNY Cortland in the Sweet
16.
For complete details on this weekend's action and the rest of the
NCAA Division III Fall Playoffs, visit NCAA.com or use the links below.
Interactive Brackets: Volleyball
| Women's
Soccer | Men's
Soccer |
Volleyball: Concordia's
Volleyball Regional Home Page (Full results, box scores,
etc.)
Women's Soccer: CSB
0, Carroll 0 | CSB
2, Loras 1 | CC
1, UPS 1 | CC 2, UCSB 1 (OT) |
Men's Soccer: St.
Olaf 3, Carroll 1 | Luther
1, St. Olaf 0 |
Courtesy of
MIAC
