JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The seventh-ranked Carson-Newman women’s soccer team will look to continue its postseason run on Friday night against Columbus State in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional final.

The top-seeded Lady Eagles (19-2-1) and the second-seeded Lady Cougars (16-2-3) are set to square off on the pitch at 7 p.m. at McCown Field. Top-ranked West Florida (20-0) and No. 9 Rollins (16-1-2) will get the round of 16 underway at 4 p.m. in the South Regional final.

The winners of the two regional final matches will play on Sunday in the Elite Eight at 1 p.m. in Jefferson City.

“To be honest, I feel like the four teams we have here this weekend are the strongest four-team group left in the tournament,” C-N head coach Phil McNamara said. “This weekend should be a fantastic soccer festival. I encourage people to come out to see four great teams play. I would go as far as saying that I believe the national champion will come out of these four teams.”

The Lady Eagles have made it a habit of reaching the Sweet 16. Friday’s appearance will be the fifth in the last seven years for C-N. During two of those years, McNamara guided the Lady Eagles to consecutive Final Four appearances in 2004 and 2005.

“That’s remarkable to be honest,” said McNamara, whose team punched its ticket to the Sweet 16 with a 1-0 win over Tusculum on Sunday. “We are extremely proud of that. This Friday we are looking to go one step further and try and make it to the Elite Eight.”

The Lady Eagles are beginning to show their early season form that carried them through a school-record 11-match winning streak to start the season. C-N has currently won seven straight games, including a 3-1 win over Lenoir-Rhyne on Nov. 8 that gave the Lady Eagles their second-straight SAC Tournament title.

McNamara said he has been pleased with his team’s development this season.

“This has been a remarkable year from start to finish,” he said. “We are a much stronger offensive threat this year than we were last year. I feel like last year we survived games and won games due to our defense and our goalkeeping. This year we are much stronger going forward, and that’s taken pressure off our defense and our goalkeeping.”

“The girls have worked extremely hard and hopefully they have the mental strength to want to push through and try and get two big wins this weekend.”

Columbus State is no stranger to C-N in postseason play. Friday’s meeting marks the fourth-straight year the Lady Eagles and Lady Cougars have met in the NCAA Tournament.

Columbus State brought C-N’s season to an end each of the last two years, including a 1-0 win in 2008.

“We are playing a very strong opponent, an opponent we know very well,” McNamara said. “They knocked us out of the NCAA Tournament each of the last two years, and maybe a little revenge factor will kick in there. If we can get good home support out there, hopefully we can take a good run at Columbus on Friday night.”

The Lady Cougars advanced to Friday’s Southeast Regional final with a 4-2 victory over Armstrong Atlantic State on Sunday.

Columbus State opened the 2009 season on a roll, reeling off 13 straight wins after battling to a 0-0 tie in its first match. The 18th-ranked Lady Cougars are 3-2-2 in their last seven matches.

McNamara said Columbus State will provide his team with a stiff challenge on Friday.

“They are really younger than what they’ve been,” McNamara said. “But I expect them to be very athletic. We will have to play our best to beat them.”