Melbourne, Fla. —- The 9th-ranked and second-seeded Catawba College women's soccer team returns to NCAA Tournament action on Friday afternoon, facing 6th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne for the third time this season for the Southeast regional title at Rick Stottler Field in Melbrourne, Fla.
THE MATCHUP
(2) #9 Catawba (19-2-1, 10-1-0 SAC)
vs
(1) #6 Lenoir-Rhyne (16-0-5, 11-0-0 SAC)
at Rick Stottler Field (Florida Tech); Melbourne, Fla. | 3:30 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY
- Catawba leads the all-time series 23-18-5
- The Bears are 5-3-2 in the programs' last 10 meetings
- Third meeting between the teams this season; LR clinched the SAC regular season title with a 2-1 win at Frock Field on Nov. 1 and the SAC Tournament title in PKs on Nov. 12
- Catawba fell to Lenoir-Rhyne in the opening round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament in penalty kicks at Frock Field in the teams' first and only meeting to date in the NCAA Tournament
WHAT'S AT STAKE
- Catawba's first regional title under the modern format of the NCAA Tournament
- Catawba claimed the 1997 regional title, which was not officially recognized by the NCAA because only two teams from the Southeast region qualified for the tournament that year
- First 20-win season in Catawba program history
- Highest ranked win for Catawba in 19 years
- Lenoir-Rhyne's second regional championship in program history, following their 2021 title where they made an appearance in the national semifinal
ON CATAWBA
- Catawba is 7-7-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament; this is the first year in program history the team has advanced more than one round
- Catawba has scored in each of their 22 games this season, ranking second in the country with 69 total goals
- The Catawba Indians set a new single-season record for wins with their 19th victory on Nov. 18 versus North Georgia
- Catawba ranks first in the conference in goals, assists and won-lost-tied percentage
- The Catawba Indians had four selected to the D2CCA All-Southeast Region teams, as Sydney Jimmo was the lone selection to the First Team as the top vote-getter at midfield
- Jimmo ranks fourth in the nation and first among midfielders with 18 goals scored and 42 points
- Hannah Dunn has scored all three Catawba goals in the last two meetings between the two sides, including two in the SAC title game
- Catawba enters this match on the heels of an instant classic at Frock Field in the Second Round against North Georgia; Bree Ehmer netted the equalizer in the 87th minute before scoring the go-ahead winner in overtime
- Ehmer, a Melbourne native and graduate of West Shore High School, makes her first collegiate appearance in her hometown
ON LENOIR-RHYNE
- The Bears enter the game as one of three teams in the country who remain unbeaten on the season
- Elin Hansson was named D2CCA Southeast Region Player of the Year; the Bears led the region with five all-region selections and four on the first team alone
- The Bears have played in Melbourne already this season, earning a 1-1 draw at host Florida Tech on Sep. 13
- Lenoir-Rhyne advanced to the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament after a thrilling Second Round matchup with 4-seed Columbus State; the Bears trailed with less than a minute to go in regulation and then scored the opening goal in overtime before it was matched in the closing minutes of the second overtime
- LR defeated Carson-Newman 4-1 in the First Round
