INDIANAPOLIS – In the NCAA's first region ranking release of 2019, Carson-Newman women's soccer holds the eighth and final seed for the Southeast Region into the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament.
The NCAA updates its region rankings every Wednesday through the end of the season until the teams are announced during its selection show which is scheduled to take place Monday, Nov. 18, where the field of 56 will be revealed.
If the tournament began today, the Eagles would be sitting at home in a majority of regions. Fortunately for C-N, the Southeast region is one of three in the country with eight bids due to its impenetrable competition on the field. The remaining five regions vary in seeding from six to seven slots.
The Eagles (9-4-1, 6-1-1 South Atlantic Conference) are the fourth of five SAC schools ranked in the Southeast Region. Rival Lenoir-Rhyne sits in the region runner-up position in second with Catawba (9-2-2) sixth, Wingate (9-3-1) seventh and Lincoln Memorial (11-4) ninth.
C-N will get their chance to move up in the region rankings Saturday when the Wingate Bulldogs travel to Mossy Creek for a conference bout. The Eagles finish their regular season on the road against Tusculum, who did not appear in the region ranking.
The SAC conference tournament will hold significant weight in the rankings. As of now, C-N is in second play on the table with 19 points in eight conference matches played, but has a chance to reclaim the lead with a win Saturday. First placed L-R has 21 points, but has played a total of nine games in conference. Each win in the SAC is awarded three points for the standings.
C-N's opponents through the first 14 games have combined for a 107-68-10 record – a .605 winning percentage – which ranks 12th in all of Division II soccer. Only Columbus State, with an opponent's combined winning percentage of .634, is higher among the 10 ranked teams in the Southeast Region.
The most recent history in the rankings has been kind to C-N. At this time last year, the Eagles were ranked No. 20 in the country and sixth in the Southeast Region, respectively. In the past five seasons, the Eagles have attended the national tournament four times.
Kickoff on Saturday at McCown Field is slated for 5 p.m. as five seniors will be honored during Senior Night in a competition that is inundated with postseason implications.
