BEMIDJI, Minn. – The No. 24 Bemidji State University Women's Soccer team is set to host the preliminary rounds of the NCAA Central Region Women's Soccer Tournament at Chet Anderson Stadium Friday, Nov. 11 and Sunday, Nov. 13.
The second-seed Beavers (14-2-5) will host seventh-seed University of Central Oklahoma (11-4-4) Friday at 3:00 p.m. Joining the Beavers and Bronchos in Bemidji this weekend are third-seed Minnesota State University, Mankato and sixth-seed Northwest Missouri State University who begin the tournament at Noon, Friday.
Follow all the NCAA Central Region Tournament action,
here.
After winning the program's first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Women's Soccer Tournament, the Beavers host the NCAA Regional Tournament for the second time in program history after first hosting it in 2018.
The Beavers enter the postseason tournament riding a 14-match unbeaten streak with a record of 11-0-3 during that span and have allowed just three goals over the streak. The Beavers have also held opponents scoreless over the last 660 minutes and six matches.
The Beavers hope to take advantage of the home pitch advantage and are 5-1-2 when playing at Chet Anderson Stadium and have not lost at home since Sept. 18 against Concordia University-St. Paul. Since the turf and soccer program debuted at Chet Anderson for the 2013 season, Bemidji State is 70-13-5 (.827).
Bemidji State enters the weekend holding the No. 24 spot in the latest United Soccer Coaches' top-25 poll and have been ranked in the poll for the past three weeks.
Bemidji State is led by All-NSIC First Team selection
Sara Wendt who has totaled 24 points off 11 goals and two assists this season and has scored a goal in the last two games. A total of eight Beavers earned All-NSIC First or Second Team accolades this season including fifth-year senior
Megan Dahl who was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
Following Wendt is fifth-year senior
Erin Becker who has totaled 16 points off six goals and four assists while graduate student
Allyson Smith follows with 15 points off six goals and three assists.
Bemidji State will see Central Oklahoma for just the second time in the two program's histories but will be the second consecutive season the team's meet in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bronchos will be looking for revenge against the Beavers after the two teams tied after 110 minutes of play but BSU earned a 5-3 penalty-kick victory to advance to the second round.
Senior
Alyssa Stumbaugh earned five saves in that match that was held in Emporia, Kan., on the campus of Emporia State University and came up big for the Beavers after stopping two penalty kicks to send the Beavers to the next round.
The winners of each round will advance to the regional's second round matchup to be played at 3:00 p.m., Sunday. The winner then advances to the third and quarterfinal rounds played on the campus of the highest remaining Midwest Regional seed Nov. 17 and 19.
For more information on the Bemidji State soccer program, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeaversSoccer), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and follow them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversSoccer)
Nestled in Northern Minnesota's wooden region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, BSU sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and women's hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
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