The Ohio Wesleyan University men's soccer team will face Tufts (Mass.) in a national semifinal game of the NCAA Division III tournament, it was announced by the NCAA on Monday.
Ohio Wesleyan and Tufts will play in one national semifinal contest at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5, at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Mo. The other national semifinal on Dec. 5 matches Oneonta (N.Y.) State against Wheaton (Ill.) at noon.
Ohio Wesleyan (17-4-4) advanced to the national semifinals on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie against 17th-ranked Christopher Newport in a national quarterfinal game. The Bishops had defeated sixth-ranked Kenyon, 2-0, in the sectional semifinals, and opened tournament play by defeating Penn State-Behrend, 3-2, in overtime and advancing on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie against Calvin. Ohio Wesleyan was an at-large selection to the NCAA Division III tournament. The Battling Bishops won the North Coast Athletic Conference championship with an 8-0-1 record, Ohio Wesleyan's seventh consecutive NCAC title. Ohio Wesleyan advanced to the championship game of the NCAC tournament, falling to Kenyon in overtime by a 2-1 count. Ohio Wesleyan was ranked No. 14 in the final regular-season NSCAA Division III rankings and No. 15 in the last D3soccer.com rankings. Ohio Wesleyan is making its NCAA-record 37th Division III playoff appearance. The Battling Bishops won the NCAA Division III national championship in 1998 and 2011. This is Ohio Wesleyan's 10th appearance in the national semifinals.
Tufts (14-2-4) advanced to the national semifinals by defeating Messiah, 1-0, in a quarterfinal matchup. The Jumbos opened tournament play with a 2-1 win over Dickinson and a 2-0 win over Wheaton (Mass.), then advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Muhlenberg. Tufts was an at-large selection to the NCAA Division III tournament. The Jumbos were undefeated in regular-season play in the New England Small College Athletic Conference with a 7-0-3 record, but were sidelined in the quarterfinals of the NESCAC tournament. Tufts was ranked No. 20 in the last D3soccer.com rankings and was unranked in the final regular-season NSCAA Division III poll. Tufts is making its second NCAA Division III playoff appearance in 3 seasons and its fourth overall appearance. This is Tufts' first appearance in the national semifinals. This will be the first meeting between Ohio Wesleyan and Tufts on the soccer pitch.
Oneonta State (21-0-2) advanced to the national semifinals with a 3-0 win over Brandeis in a quarterfinal contest. The Red Dragons received a first-round bye in the NCAA Division III tournament, and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Nichols and a 2-1 decision over Franklin & Marshall. Oneonta won the State University of New York Athletic Conference tournament, defeating Cortland State, 2-1, in the tournament championship game. The Red Dragons were 8-0-1 in regular-season SUNYAC play. Oneonta was ranked No. 3 in both the final regular-season NSCAA Division III poll and the last D3soccer.com rankings. The Red Dragons are making their fourth consecutive NCAA Division III tournament appearance, and are in the national semifinals for the second time. Oneonta State advanced to the national semifinals in 2011, joining Ohio Wesleyan in San Antonio, Texas. The Bishops and Red Dragons have never met on the soccer pitch.
Wheaton (21-3-0) advanced to the national semifinals by defeating Trinity (Texas), 2-1, in a quarterfinal game. The Thunder received a first-round bye in the NCAA Division III tournament, then posted wins of 3-0 over Wisconsin-Whitewater and 5-0 over Wartburg to advance to the national quarterfinals. Wheaton won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament with a 5-2 win over Elmhurst. The Thunder went 6-1-0 in the CCIW during the regular season. Wheaton was ranked No. 8 in the final regular-season NSCAA Division III rankings and No. 9 in the last D3soccer.com rankings. Wheaton is making its 35th NCAA Division III playoff appearance, ranking second among Division III institutions. The Thunder won NCAA Division III championships in 1984 and 1997. This is Wheaton's sixth trip to the national semifinals. Ohio Wesleyan and Wheaton have met 12 times in the NCAA playoffs, with each team winning 6 games. The teams' last playoff meeting was in 2006, when Wheaton won a 1-0 decision in a national semifinal game in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The winners of the Dec. 5 national semifinal games will square off in the national championship game at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Mo.
NCAA championship websiteNCAA championship releaseNCAA championship bracket (printable)
NCAA championship bracket (interactive)NCAA championship program
