The University of North Georgia women's soccer team was selected to the field of 48 teams for the 2016 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship as announced by the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Committee Monday evening. The national tournament appearance is the fifth in the past six years for UNG. The Nighthawks (14-2-3) were awarded the No. 2-seed in the Southeast Region, meaning UNG will host first and second round matches in Dahlonega for the first time in school history.
Also coming to Dahlonega this weekend will be No. 3-seed Limestone (18-1) and sixth-seeded Carson Newman (16-3-1). Limestone won the Conference Carolinas Championship on Sunday with a 2-1 over Belmont Abbey in the title game, while Carson Newman took down Wingate in the in the South Atlantic Conference Championship match with an identical 2-1 score. The two teams will square off Friday at 2 p.m.
The winner of the First Round match on Friday between the Saints and the Eagles will face North Georgia in the Second Round match on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. The other host site includes No. 4-seed Armstrong State (13-4-2) and No. 5-seed Lenoir-Rhyne (13-4-2) in the first round with the winner facing No. 1-seed Columbus State (18-2) on Sunday.
The two advancing teams from the Dahlonega and Columbus Regionals will face off in the Sweet Sixteen on Friday, Nov. 18.
This year the highest seed advancing out of the Second Round in the South Region will host the Third and Fourth Rounds of the tournament the following weekend (Nov. 18 & 20). The Southeast Region is paired with the South Region meaning the champion of each region would play in the fourth round with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship semifinals.
The Final Four and Championship matches will take place December 1 and 3 at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri.
The First and Second Round NCAA Tournament matches this weekend will be the first-ever non-softball NCAA Tournament event hosted in Dahlonega.
