INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- The NCAA women's soccer tournament is back! Fans would have to turn back the clock to November 2019 for the last time an ODAC team had the chance to play for a national women's soccer championship. The NCAA put an end to the event's hiatus with the announcement of the 2021 Division III Field on Monday afternoon.
Two teams will carry the ODAC's banner into the national bracket. Conference champion Virginia Wesleyan University is joined by the University of Lynchburg in the 64-team field.
Forty-four of the tourney's 64 programs received automatic qualification from their respective conferences. Zero schools earned "Pool B" bids as independent teams or those that compete in league's that do not feature automatic NCAA qualification. The remaining 20 teams received at-large bids from "Pool C," which includes all teams that did not receive AQ or Pool B entries. Lynchburg was an at-large choice.
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Virginia Wesleyan (12-5-2) will make the trip to Ewing, N.J. for first and second round action at The College of New Jersey. The Marlins open with perennial powers Messiah University (16-2-1). The Falcons, which one the last NCAA title in 2019, are ranked 11th in Division III by the United Soccer Coaches (USC). The winner of the VWU-MU match will meet either Westfield State (15-4-1) or the host Lions (16-0-2) in the second round. TCNJ is currently the #1 ranked team in the country.
Lynchburg (15-5-0) travels to Dallas, Pa., for the opening rounds at Misericordia University. The Hornets matchup with Middlebury College in the first round. The Panthers are receiving votes towards the USC top-25. The winner of the LYN-MC contest meets either Bryn Athyn College (12-3-2) or the host Cougars (18-1-0). Misericordia is the fourth-ranked team in Division III.
Sixteen four-team pods will conduct first and second round play on Friday-Sunday, November 12-14. Those 16 winners will compete in third round and quarterfinal action on Friday-Sunday, November 19-21. The national semifinals and championship are slated for Friday and Saturday, December 3-4 in Greensboro, N.C. at the UNCG Soccer Stadium. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the Greensboro Sports Foundation will serve as hosts.
Game times and ticket information will be as they come available. For more information, visit the websites of any of the participating schools. You can also go to the home of the ODAC on the Internet at www.odaconline.com. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.