http://miac-online.org/news/2011/11/4/PLAYOFFS_1104112126.aspx

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The 2011 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Fall Playoffs have already created several memorable moments and, hopefully, they have just been a precursor of the action to come on Saturday with three championship games on the schedule.

Women's soccer, men's soccer and volleyball will all crown their Playoff champions Saturday, with both soccer games set to start at 1 p.m. and the volleyball final scheduled for a 7 p.m. start. Two of the three championship games feature the regular season co-champs going head-to-head for the Playoff crown, which appears to be a fitting conclusion to season-long rivalries in both sports. The third pits the top seed against the defending Playoff champ in another rich storyline.

In addition to the MIAC Playoff championship, each of Saturday's winners will receive the MIAC's automatic bids to the 2011 NCAA Division III Playoffs, which definitely raises the stakes for all three title games. Below is a look at all three championships, with a brief preview, as well as details from each postseason tournament, including results. box scores, recaps, links to Saturday's live broadcasts and more.

WOMEN'S SOCCER
Top-seeded Saint Benedict (11-6-2), which shared the regular season crown with Carleton, hosts Saturday's Women's Soccer Playoff finale' in St. Joseph, Minn., at 1 p.m. The Blazers will take on third-seeded Concordia (12-2-5), which claimed the MIAC's postseason title a year ago in dramatic fashion, and earned its trip to the title game by beating the other co-champ in Tuesday's semifinal match 1-0. To repeat as the Playoff winner, the Cobbers will need to knock off one of the MIAC's champions on its home field for the second time in four days. The Blazers advanced past No. 4 Macalester in an outstanding defensive game Tuesday. The two teams remained tied 0-0 after two overtimes, but CSB won the shootout 2-0 to earn the right to host Concordia Saturday afternoon.

2011 MIAC Women's Soccer Playoffs
Semifinals: Tuesday, Nov. 1
No. 1 Saint Benedict 0, No. 4 Macalester 0 (2OT) **CSB advances on PKs, 2-0 | Box Score | Recap |
No. 3 Concordia 1, No. 2 Carleton 0 . | Box Score | Recap |

Championship: Saturday, Nov. 5

No. 3 Concordia at No. 1 Saint Benedict – 1 p.m. – St. Joseph, Minn.

MEN'S SOCCER
Saturday's men's soccer final pits two cross-town rivals against one another with a championship on the line for the second time in a week. No. 1 St. Olaf (15-3-1) beat No. 2 Carleton (12-5-2) last Saturday to pull into a first-place tie with the Knights on the season's final day, meaning the two shared the conference title, and the Oles snatched the top seed and home-field advantage thanks to the win. That home-field advantage helped Wednesday, as St. Olaf used a late goal to score a 2-1 win over the No 4 seed and defending Playoff champion, Augsburg. Meanwhile, Carleton scored an early goal and made the lead stand up as it advanced with a 1-0 win over Gustavus. Saturday's rematch - at 1 p.m. on the Oles' home field - will be another can't-miss event with lots of pride on the line in addition to the postseason title.

2011 MIAC Men's Soccer Playoffs
Semifinals: Wednesday, Nov. 2
No. 1 St. Olaf 2, No. 4 Augsburg 1 | Box Score | Recap |
No. 2 Carleton 1, No. 3 Gustavus 0 | Box Score | Recap |

Championship: Saturday, Nov. 5
No. 2 Carleton vs. No. 1 St. Olaf – 1 p.m. – Northfield, Minn. (STO) | Live Web cast/stats |

**PARKING NOTICE FOR CHAMPIONSHIP AT ST. OLAF**
Due to the State High School Cross Country meet taking place on the St. Olaf campus this Saturday, only vehicles displaying handicapped parking passes will be allowed to park near Rolf Mellby Soccer Field. MIAC Soccer/Cross Country spectator parking will be available at four remote parking lots at the southeast end of the St. Olaf campus. Large red signs will direct spectators to these lots. Shuttle service to and from campus will be provided from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The pick-up and drop-off points will be posted with large red "Bus Stop" signs. Allow 20 minutes in your travel plans to be shuttled from the spectator lots to a drop off point 400 yards from Rolf Mellby Soccer Field.

VOLLEYBALL
There's a similar story in the volleyball final, with the regular-season co-champs meeting with the Playoff title on the line. No. 1 Concordia (24-3) will host No. 2 St. Thomas (29-3) Saturday night in Moorhead at 7 p.m. in a matchup of teams ranked in the Top 12 in Division III, with the Cobbers at No. 8 and the Tommies at No. 12 nationally. They also bring two impressive winning streaks into Saturday's match. UST hasn't lost a match since its 3-0 defeat in its last trip to Moorhead to play Concordia back on Sept. 28. Since then, St. Thomas has won 16 in a row. The Cobbers enter with a 12-match winning streak, and 11 of those 12 wins have been in straight sets. Both advanced to Saturday's championship with 3-0 wins in Thursday's quarterfinals - Concordia beat No. 4 Saint Benedict and St. Thomas beat No. 3 Bethel to set up Saturday's winner-take-all final.

2011 MIAC Volleyball Playoffs

Quarterfinals: Tuesday, Nov. 1

No. 3 Bethel 3, No. 6 Augsburg 1 | Box Score | Recap |

No. 4 Saint Benedict 3, No. 5 Gustavus 1 | Box Score | Recap |

Semifinals: Thursday, Nov. 3

No. 1 Concordia 3, No. 4 Saint Benedict 0 | Box Score | Recap |

No. 2 St. Thomas 3, No. 3 Bethel 0 | Box Score | Recap |

Championship: Saturday, Nov. 5

No. 2 St. Thomas at No. 1 Concordia – 7 p.m. – Moorhead, Minn. | Live video/stats |

Courtesy of MIAC