NCAA Men's Soccer Championship Bracket
Elon Men's Soccer Draws #12 Coastal Carolina in NCAA Tournament
ELON, N.C. - The 2011 Southern Conference Tournament champion Elon men's soccer team gathered with numerous fans and supporters at the Fat Frogg in Elon and learned that the Phoenix earned a rematch with 12th-ranked Coastal Carolina in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Phoenix (9-10-2) and Chanticleers will face off on Thursday night at 7 p.m. on Coastal Carolina's campus.
"Speaking on behalf of myself, the coaches and players, the selection show was a great event," said Elon head coach Darren Powell. "We appreciate all the former players, support staff and local community for coming out and sharing this moment with us, in particular President Lambert for taking time out of his schedule to visit with us.
We are excited to represent this university and this athletic department in the tournament for the first time in program history. We'll face a talented Coastal team on Thursday night with a game plan and a focus to try and advance in the NCAA Tournament."
The SoCon Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth are both program firsts for the Elon men's soccer team.
Tickets for the NCAA First Round are available by calling the Coastal Carolina Athletics Ticket Office at 1-877-4-CHANTS. Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $5 for youth (high school age and below) and students with a valid ID. All tickets are general admission, bleachers are first come, first served. Please stay tuned to elonphoenix.com for additional details about the men's soccer NCAA Tournament appearance.
"We are delighted for this team, in particular the seniors who have been an integral part of our program," commented Elon assistant coach Chris Little. "It was fantastic to see so many people come out to support us this afternoon. The success of this program is a result of so many individuals hard work and dedication."
Elon and Coastal Carolina met earlier this season on a neutral field at the VCU Soccer Tournament. After scoring the go-ahead goal in the 78th minute, Elon relinquished back-to-back goals to the Chanticleers to drop a 2-1 decision. Archie Karpeh scored the lone Phoenix goal in the contest. Coastal holds a 7-1-2 all-time mark against Elon - the Phoenix's lone victory came in the first round of the 2000 Big South Tournament.
The winner of Thursday's first-round match-up will challenge the North Carolina Tar Heels, the tournament's top seed.
Furman Soccer Earns NCAA Tournament Berth; Paladins Travel To Charlotte On Thursday
Greenville, S.C. -- The nationally-ranked Furman men's soccer team has earned an at-large berth to the 2011 NCAA Men's Soccer Championships and will travel to face the Charlotte 49ers on Thursday evening in first round play, it was announced on Monday afternoon. Kickoff at Transamerica Field is set for 7 p.m.
Under the direction of head coach Doug Allison, Furman has posted a 14-3-4 overall record and climbed as high as No. 16 in the NSCAA Top 25 and No. 17 in the Soccer America Top 25 this season. The Paladins had their eight-match unbeaten streak halted last Friday night with a 1-0 loss to Elon in the Southern Conference Tournament semifinals in Boone, N.C.
Thursday's match will be the 22nd all-time meeting between Furman and Charlotte with the 49ers holding a 11-4-6 series advantage. Furman dropped a 1-0 decision in the last meeting between the schools on October 2, 2010, in Charlotte, N.C. The 49ers, ranked No. 8 in last week's NSCAA poll, boast a 13-4-2 record.
The NCAA Tournament berth is the eighth for the Paladins and first since 2007 when they defeated Campbell in opening round play before falling to eventual national champion Wake Forest in the second round. Furman, 5-7-1 in 13 previous NCAA Tournament matches, advanced to the quarterfinals in 1999 when it topped North Carolina and Wake Forest before being eliminated by Connecticut.
Fans can follow live statistics and streaming video for all NCAA Tournament matches through www.NCAASports.com. Stay tuned to www.FurmanPaladins.com and www.Twitter.com/FurmanPaladins for further NCAA Tournament information and ticket information.
The winner of Thursday's contest will advance to face 11th-seeded UAB on Sunday afternoon in Birmingham, Ala.