UB To Host More NCAA D II Women's Soccer Action This Week As Purple Knights Face Adelphi In Friday's East Regional Final At 2:30 PM

Bridgeport, Conn. –For the second time in program history, the University of Bridgeport women's soccer team, under the direction of seventeenth-year head coach Magnus Nilerud have reached the Third Round of the NCAA Division II Championship.  The Purple Knights are one of the final 16 teams left standing in the nation after Sunday's last minute, 1-0 win over LIU Post in the 2015 NCAA Division II Championship Second Round.  UB's only other trip to the Round of 16 came in 2008 when the team posted wins over Merrimack (1-0) and C.W. Post (1-0), before falling to the College of St. Rose, 3-1. 

As the top seed in the East Region, Bridgeport (19-1-1) will serve as the host for the third round matches featuring the reaming two team in the East and the Atlantic Regions in the 2015 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship at Knights Field on Friday, November 20, and Sunday November 22, Friday's two winners will meet at 1:00 p.m. in the NCAA Quarterfinals with a trip to Pensacola, Florida on the line and the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer national Semifinals on Thursday, December 3.  The 2015 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship Match will take place in Pensacola on Saturday, December 5.

Friday's matches at Knights Field will be Regional Championship tilts.  At 12 noon, two teams from the Atlantic Region, both members of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference will square off in the number four seed, Fighting Scots of Edinboro University (15-7-1) and the number six seed, Warriors of East Stroudsburg University (13-6-2). Bridgeport will then face the Panthers of Adelphi University (18-2-2), the number two seed in the East Region. 

Both Edinboro and East Stroudsburg had to prevail in two matches last weekend; while Bridgeport and Adelphi received byes in the NCAA First Round and won by 1-0 scores in the Second Round.

Edinboro University, located in Edinboro, Pa.., heads into Friday's action with a 15-7-1 record.  The Fighting Scots entered this season's NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship as the number four seed in the Atlantic Region.  Edinboro advanced to the Third Round by prevailing in penalty kicks, 3-1, over the University of Charleston (WVa.) after a 0-0 tie in round one and then defeating the Atlantic Region's number one seed, Gannon University, 2-1 in overtime on Gannon's home field on Sunday.  This is the Fighting Scot's fourth all-time NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship.  During the regular season, Edinboro defeated East Stroudsburg, 2-1, at home on October 24, but ESU posted a 2-1 overtime win in the finals of the PSAC Championship Tournament played on a neutral field on November 8.

East Stroudsburg University, located in East Stroudsburg, Pa.., comes into Friday's play with a 13-6-2 overall record. The Warriors, who are also making their fourth overall appearance as a team in the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship, are the sixth-seed in the Atlantic Region.  ESU moved into the third round with a 2-1 overtime win over West Chester University on Friday, and a 3-0 win over host and regional, number two seed, West Virginia Wesleyan on Sunday.  The Warriors won this season's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship Tournament title by defeating Edinboro, 2-1 in overtime, on November 8 in a contest played at Gannon University.

The Panthers of Adelphi University hail from Garden City, N.Y.  The number two seed in the East Region, Adelphi is ranked number 12 in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in their poll released on November 10.  AU posted a 1-0 home win over number six seed Philadelphia University on Sunday to move into the third round.  During the regular season, the Panthers lost a 2-1 decision at Bridgeport early in the year on September 9.  This season marks Adelphi's thirteenth overall NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship appearance. AU heads into play on Friday at 18-2-2 overall.  The Panthers won both the Northeast-10 Conference regular season and conference championship tournament titles this season.

Making the program's eighth overall NCAA appearance, all coming in the last nine years, the East Region top-seed, Purple Knights of the University of Bridgeport check in at number five in the nation the NSCAA National Poll released on November 10.  UB, winners of the 2015 East Coast Conference regular season and conference tournament crowns, are 19-1-1 overall.  The 19 wins are a single-season program record. Sophomore Ariana Weingrad scored the only goal of the match in the Purple Knights 1-0 win over LIU Post on Sunday with just 56 seconds reaming in the second half.

2015 NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP

Friday, November 20, 2015  

Game #1   12:00pm   NCAA Third Round - #4 Edinboro University vs. #6 East Stroudsburg

Game #2     2:30pm   NCAA Third Round - #1 University of Bridgeport  vs. #2 Adelphi U.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Game #3  1:00pm      NCAA Quarterfinals - Winner of Game #1 vs.  Winner of Game #2

Ticket prices are:

Adults: $5.00 | Students with I.D./Senior Citizens: $3.00 | Children, ages 2-12: $2.00
Children under the age of 2 shall be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE 2015 NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

NCAA THIRD ROUND & QUARTERFINALS TOURNAMENT CENTRAL