NAIA National Soccer Championship starts Nov. 28 in O.B.

NAIA National Soccer Championship starts Nov. 28 in O.B.

Fifteen teams punched their ticket to next week’s 2016 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship at the Orange Beach Sportsplex during opening round games on college campuses around the country. The 15 first round winners will join host institution Mobile College for the remainder of the single-elimination championship from Nov. 28 – Dec. 3, including 14 of the top 16 seeds.
Spring Arbor (Mich.) returns to Orange Beach to defend its title after defeating Rochester (Mich.), 5-0. The Cougars were led by Bethany Balcer, who recorded three goals against the Warriors. Balcer returns to the National Championship after earning Championship MVP and NAIA Women’s Soccer Player of the awards last season.
The 14 teams joining Mobile College and Spring Arbor in the tourney are Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), Keiser (Fla.), William Carey (Miss.), Northwest (Wash.), Northwestern Ohio, Vanguard (Calif.), Martin Methodist (Tenn.), Westmont (Calif.), Ottawa (Kan.), Benedictine (Kan.), Baker (Kan.), Reinhardt (Ga.), Columbia (Mo.) and Cumberland (Tenn.).
The Southern States Athletic Conference has the most teams represented at the National Championship with three.
All-tournament passes are $30 for adults and $15 for youth, and day passes are $10 for adults and free for children 10 and under with a paying adult. Visit NAIA.org for more tourney info. For information on upcoming athletic events along Alabama’s Gulf Coast, visit GulfShoresOrangeBeachSports.com, or call 1-800-745-SAND.
Qualifier Highlights
• Westmont (Calif.) makes its 19th all-time appearance, which leads all 2016 qualifiers. Westmont owns a 33-8-8 overall record at the championship and has accounted for the most championships all-time with five.
• There are 18 teams from the 2015 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship in the field again this year.
• Four teams make their first championship appearance – Cardinal Stritch (Wis.), Marymount California, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) and Rochester (Mich.).
• Defending national champion Spring Arbor (Mich.) makes its eighth all-time appearance. The Cougars are looking for their second-straight National Championship title as it rides a 38-match unbeaten streak.
• Six teams are tied for the most wins this season at 18 – Benedictine (Kan.) (18-3-0), Columbia (Mo.) (18-1-2), John Brown (Ark.) (18-1-1), Northwestern Ohio (18-2-1). Ottawa (Kan.) (18-3-0) and Spring Arbor (18-0-1).
• The last time a team won back-to-back championships was former NAIA member Lee (Tenn.). Lee won four titles in a row from 2008 to 2011.
• There are five teams included in the opening round field that have won a championship title – Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (4), Martin Methodist (Tenn.) (2), Mobile (Ala.) (1), Spring Arbor (1) and Westmont (5).
• The Golden State Athletic Conference, Heart of America Athletic Conference and the Southern States Athletic Conference lead all leagues with three teams represented in the field.
• Lindsey Wilson holds the longest active streaks of appearances in the championships, as 2016 will mark the Blue Raiders’ 16th-consecutive appearance, dating back to 2001.
• Martin Methodist (Tenn.) has the second longest active streak of consecutive appearances with 13 dating back to 2004