Lenoir-Rhyne Women’s Soccer Earns NCAA Tournament Bid, Faces Columbus State
The Lenoir-Rhyne University women’s soccer team is poised for another postseason run, securing its sixth consecutive and 11th overall berth in the NCAA tournament. The Bears, seeded No. 6 in the regional bracket, will face off against No. 3 Columbus State in a highly anticipated matchup.
The game is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Friday, November 21st, at the University of North Georgia Soccer Complex in Dahlonega, Georgia. The University of North Georgia, earning the No. 2 seed, will simultaneously host No. 7 seeded Anderson.
Under the leadership of first-year head coach Justin Maullin, Lenoir-Rhyne has compiled a 10-4-3 record this season. The team finished as the runner-up to Catawba in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) regular season. Their bid for a third consecutive SAC tournament title was narrowly defeated on November 8th when Wingate prevailed in a penalty kick shootout.
Despite falling short in the conference tournament, the Bears boast a decorated history in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the national quarterfinals in both 2010 and 2023, and advancing to the national semi-finals in 2021.
Columbus State (14-5-1) enters the tournament with significant momentum, having won eight consecutive games, including a 1-0 victory over North Georgia in the Peach Belt Championship game. The Cougars are a perennial postseason contender, making 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, securing eight NCAA Southeast Regional titles, and reaching the national semi-finals four times.
The teams have already met once this season, with Lenoir-Rhyne emerging victorious with a 2-1 win on Columbus State’s home field. Historically, Columbus State holds a 4-3-3 advantage in the all-time series and a 2-1-2 lead in NCAA Tournament contests. However, the Cougars haven’t defeated Lenoir-Rhyne since a 1-0 win in 2022. The Bears secured a thrilling 4-2 penalty kick shootout victory over Columbus State in the NCAA Second Round two years ago in Hickory.
Further details regarding the tournament will be released later this week.
