Women’s soccer to play Benedictine in national tournament opener
Junior midfielder Elena Ruiz (17) kicks the ball away from an approaching opponent (photo from previous game).
Photo credit: Josiah Seabaugh
By Maddy Peters
Sports Editor
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the pairings for the opening round of the Women’s Soccer National Championship saying that Concordia University Nebraska would face Benedictine College on Nov. 21 in Grand Rapids, Mich. The time was not announced.
The Bulldogs faced the Ravens earlier in the preseason, suffering a 2-0 loss on a Wednesday evening game in Seward. Benedictine had dropped from the top 25 NAIA teams earlier that day but were still receiving votes. The teams have met a total of 14 times, including the September 2024 match, since 2007, and Concordia has had one win against them with a 1-0 shutout in 2022.
Benedictine and Concordia came into the national tournament with identical 13-6-1 season records. Benedictine’s last match was a 4-1 loss against No. 12 Central Methodist University in the Heart Conference semifinal.
The winner of the first-round game goes on to face the host No. 5 Aquinas College on Nov. 23. The winner of that second game goes to the final site in Pensacola, Fla.
Concordia has received a national playoff bid three previous times in 2014, 2016 and 2020. The Bulldogs lost 4-0 to then No. 9 Benedictine in 2014, 2-0 to then No. 3 Keiser University in 2016 and were unable to play No. 3 Keiser in 2020 due to COVID-19.
