The 40-team Men’s field was announced Monday. The tournament is broken up into four Super Regions with 10 teams in each. The tournament will start Thursday, Nov. 18 and go all the way through Dec. 11 when a champion will be decided in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Franklin Pierce is seeded #1 as are Young Harris, Indianapolis and Cal State LA in their respective regions. The three GLVC representatives are part of Region 3 with #4 UIS and #5 Maryville joining Indianapolis. All three teams have first round byes and will begin play in the 2nd round, either Saturday or Sunday. NCAA DII Soccer Tournament
UPDATE: Illinois Springfield and Indianapolis face each other Thursday in the Sweet Sixteen as the remaining teams with St. Louis representation as well as being the final GLVC teams standing. The Greyhounds are hosting a double-header again and both games will be broadcast on the GLVCSN.com network. Winners advance to the Quarterfinal Saturday. Schedules below.
The @UISMSoccer team resumes NCAA Division II Tournament play this week. The Prairie Stars will face No. 7 Indianapolis in a third-round match on Thursday in Indianapolis, Ind.
Preview Story: https://t.co/hfJojzmytF#ProtectThePrairie pic.twitter.com/dpcFFQqFel
— #ProtectThePrairie (@UISAthletics) December 1, 2021
This is the first DII men’s soccer tournament since 2019. 2020’s tournament was not able to be played due to COVID-19. There have been two St. Louis champions – SIUE (1972) won the first year of the tournament while UMSL won the title the second year (1973). SIUE returned to the Final in 2004, losing to Seattle in the final before moving to Division 1 later that decade.
The Maryville Saints feature ten area players on their Roster so hit the link and dig into the details for Sunday’s match.
| Players | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | College | High School | Club |
| Jeremy Fechtman | Indianapolis | Pattonville | SLSG |
| Brian Riordan | UIS | Oakville | LFA |
Jeremy Fechtman (Indy) became a regular as a defensive midfielder in 2019, playing in all 19 games. He started all 17 games in 2020 as the team captured the GLVC title, earning 1st Team All-GLVC, and was on the same trajectory this season until tearing his ACL at Quincy, ending his season after 6 starts in 7 matches.
Brian Riordan (UIS) has started 28 and played in 46 games in his 2 1/2 seasons with the Stars and has scored three goals as a defender.
Here are the schedules for the weekend, featuring the 1st and 2nd round games, and I’ll provide TV info (generally ESPN+) that you can also find in my TV calendar (bottom right of the website homepage) Otherwise I’ll provide a link to the school website where you can find any streaming information. Those games are in the other calendar you’ll find on my site where I offer club, college and high school match information.
To see the entire bracket, visit NCAA.com and the NCAA News page.
| D2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Day | Time | Match | TV/Result |
| Sat Nov 20 | 11:00 am | 2nd Rd: #1 UIndy v #8 Cedarville | 3-1 |
| Sun Nov 21 | 1:00 pm | 2nd Rd: #4 IL-Springfield hosts #5 Maryville | 2-1 |
| Thu Dec 2 | 1:50 pm | 3rd Rd: #6 Ft. Hays State v #2 Lake Erie | 3-2 |
| Thu Dec 2 | 5:00 pm | 3rd Rd: #1 UIndy v #4 IL-Springfield | 3-0 |
| Sat Dec 4 | 5:00 pm | Quarterfinal: #1 UIndy v #6 Ft. Hays State | |
| Thu Dec 9 | 6:00 pm | Semi: #1 Cal State LA v #4 Nova Southeastern | NCAA.com stream |
| Thu Dec 9 | 9:00 pm | Semi: #2 Charleston v #3 Indy | NCAA.com stream |
| Sat Dec 11 | 4:00 pm | Final: #1 Cal State LA/#4 Nova Southeastern v #2 Charleston/#3 Indy | NCAA.com stream |
FT: Our historic season comes to an end.
All we can say is Thank You for supporting us and coming on the ride with us this fall.#ProtectThePrairie pic.twitter.com/mPgR76iz4d— UIS Men's Soccer (@UISMSoccer) December 3, 2021
WOMEN
The 2021 championship field will consist of 56 teams with the single-elimination tournament running from Nov. 18 through Dec. 11. The semifinals and final will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A look at the Championship History points to one St. Louis soccer representative, that being Don Klosterman (CBC 1970) who won the National Championship in 2005 while coaching the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (20-2) after reaching the Final in 2002, part of a string of four straight visits to the National tournament (2002-2005). He was named the National Coach of the Year in both 2002 and 2005. He was the schools first Women’s Coach (1998) and coached the team as it transitioned to D1 status beginning in 2011. He retired in 2016 and Tim Walters (Lafayette 2005) was hired to replace him after six years as an assistant for the Men’s program. From this year’s participants, Grand Valley State are the defending Champions, now coached by Jim Conlon (formerly WashU) while Central Missouri won the title in 2017.
UPDATE: Two teams remain with St. Louis connections – Central Missouri and Grand Valley State – and they will could face each other in the Quarterfinal on Sunday if they win their Sweet 16 matches Friday. Grand Valley State are the defending champions while UCM won the title in 2017. GVSU is now coached by Jim Conlon who took over in the Fall after a very successful career at Washington University in St. Louis. GVSU is hosting a double-header Friday and the winners advance to the Quarterfinals on Sunday. Free stream via GVSN.com
In this year’s field, McKendree’s roster includes 23 area women so hit the link to learn more about who’s playing.
| Players | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | College | High School | Club |
| Hannah Groh | Central Missouri | Lindbergh | |
| Ashleigh Martin | Central Missouri | Howell | |
| Julia Kristensen | Central Missouri | Howell North | |
| Jordan Schutte | Central Missouri | Eureka | |
| Grace Vincent | Drury | O'Fallon | |
| Kennedy Thompson | Drury | Troy | |
| Greg Henson | Ferris State | ||
| Mackenzie Jones | Grand Valley State | Howell Central | Lou Fusz |
Ashleigh Martin (UCM) has started 15, and played in 21, matches this year and scored 6 goals with three assists as a freshman on the MIAA Championship squad.
Kennedy Thompson (Drury) has started 18, and played in all 19, matches this year, scoring a pair of goals from her midfield role
Mackenzie Jones (Grand Valley) started 5, and played in all 17, matches with 2 goals and 4 assists as she breaks into the lineup of the defending champions
To see the entire bracket, visit NCAA.com and the NCAA News page.
| D1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Day | Time | Match | TV/Result |
| Thu Nov 18 | 9:00 am | 1st Rd: #3 Ferris State v #6 Saginaw Valley | 0-1 (PKs) |
| Thu Nov 18 | 9:00 am | 1st Rd: #4 McKendree v #5 Indianapolis | 2-3 |
| Thu Nov 18 | 12:00 pm | 1st Rd: #1 Grand Valley State v #8 Cedarville | 2-1 (OT) |
| Thu Nov 18 | 12:00 pm | 1st Rd: #2 Ashland hosts #7 Drury | 1-0 (OT) |
| Fri Nov 19 | 1:00 pm | 1st Rd: #1 Central MO v #8 Southwestern OK | 1-0 |
| Sat Nov 20 | 10:00 am | 2nd Rd: #1 Grand Valley State v #5 Indianapolis | 5-0 |
| Sat Nov 20 | 11:00 am | 2nd Rd: #6 Saginaw Valley v #7 Drury | 3-2 |
| Sun Nov 21 | 1:00 pm | 2nd Rd: #1 UCM v #4 MN State | 4-3 |
| Fri Dec 03 | 10:00 am | Sweet 16: #1 UCM v #3 Bemidji State | 4-1 |
| Fri Dec 03 | 1:00 pm | Sweet 16: #1 Grand Valley State v #6 Saginaw Valley | 2-0 |
| Sun Dec 05 | 12:00 pm | Quarterfinal: #1 UCM at #1 Grand Valley State | 0-1 |
| Thu Dec 09 | 12:00 pm | Semifinal: #1 Grand Valley State v #4 Lenoir-Rhyne | 3-0 |
| Thu Dec 09 | 3:00 pm | Semifinal: #2 DBU v #3 Saint Rose | 1-2 |
| Sat Dec 11 | 1:00 pm | Final: Grand Valley State v Saint Rose | NCAA Live Stream |
ON TO THE SHIP!
A shutout win in the semifinals and we'll face either Dallas Baptist or Saint Rose on Saturday at noon MT (2ET) for #RingsIn7heSprings pic.twitter.com/7mmGXGlNdl
— GVSU Soccer (@GVSUsoccer) December 9, 2021
? How the Midwest was won pic.twitter.com/0vqzdeLFrx
— GVSU Soccer (@GVSUsoccer) December 3, 2021
RECAP | Top-seeded @UCM_Soccer captures its seventh Central Region Championship with a 4-1 victory over No. 3 Bemidji State.
The Jennies will advance to the National Quarterfinals with the win and either face No. 1 ranked GVSU or No. 6 SVU#teamUCM https://t.co/5S0kLEA2z3
— UCM Mules & Jennies (@UCMMULES) December 3, 2021
McKendree went down 0-2 before halftime and 0-3 early in the second half before fighting back with goals by Alli Frederking (28 yds out, off crossbar) and Morgan Cervera who finished a ball off the crossbar from Morgan Bova’s 24 yard shot.
⚽RECAP | @McKendreeWSoc unable to complete comeback, exit NCAA Tourney; Frederking & Cervera score in huge 2nd half push #BearcatsUnleashed https://t.co/75vtELZCDR
— McKendree Bearcats (@McKBearcats) November 18, 2021
WATCH: Highlights from today's quarterfinal win, including the golden goal game-winner. pic.twitter.com/TG21TwaHOQ
— GVSU Soccer (@GVSUsoccer) November 18, 2021
You know what they say about Chloe Cash, right?
She's money.
On to the second round for @drurywsoc after a 2OT goal by the senior! pic.twitter.com/W9qr8ugdhu
— Drury Panthers (@drurypanthers) November 18, 2021
PANTHERS ADVANCE – Chloe Cash scores in second OT giving DU a 1-0 win at No. 15 Ashland https://t.co/zKfOkNboEs
— Drury Panthers (@drurypanthers) November 18, 2021
LINDSAY EDMONDS!
Edmonds buries the goal off a corner kick from Caroline Cole in the 1-0 Central Region quarterfinal victory over SWOSU.#teamUCM | @UCMMULES pic.twitter.com/jcZ1Onhbc0
— Jennies Soccer (@UCM_Soccer) November 19, 2021
Here are all the important dates you need to know for the 2021 tournament:
| Tournament | ||
|---|---|---|
| Event | Date | Location |
| First round | Thu Nov 18 – Fri Nov 19 | Campus sites |
| Second round | Sat Nov 20 – Sun Nov 21 | Campus sites |
| Third round | Thu Dec 2 – Fri Dec 3 | |
| Quarterfinals | Sat Dec 4 – Sun Dec 5 | |
| Semifinals | Thu Dec 9 | NCAA.com stream |
| Final | Sat Dec 11 | NCAA.com stream |
NCAA DII Soccer Tournament
