No. 14 Women’s Soccer Named NCAA East Regional Second Seed, Will Host First/Second Rounds
Championship Central page
NCAA.com selection announcement
NCAA Championship bracket
Archived selection show video
RINDGE, N.H. (November 7, 2022) -- After a two-season hiatus, the No. 14 nationally-ranked Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team returns to NCAA Championship play, as the Ravens were selected as the second seed in the East Regional, as announced on Monday night by the NCAA. Sodexo Field will serve as one of two East Region host sites for the first and second rounds, with competition set for Friday, Nov. 11 and Sunday, Nov. 13. The Ravens, who earned an at-large bid out of the Northeast-10 Conference, will open their NCAA Championship against seventh-seeded Southern New Hampshire at 6 p.m. on Friday.
Franklin Pierce will be making its 22nd appearance all-time in the NCAA Championship field, and returns for the first time since 2018. The Ravens are a five-time national champion (1999, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994), and have won 12 regional titles since regional play began in 1996. Sodexo Field will serve as host site for NCAA Women's Soccer Championship play for the sixth time (2018, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2004).
The eight-team regional field will be split into a pair of sub-regional sites, hosted by the top two seeds. At Franklin Pierce, in addition to the game between the Ravens (14-3-2) and the Penmen (6-5-5), third-seeded Bridgeport (13-3-5) will take on sixth-seeded Saint Anselm (10-7-1) at 3 p.m. on Friday. The two winners from Friday will advance to play at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Bridgeport earned an automatic bid as champion of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, while SNHU at Saint Anselm join Franklin Pierce as at-large bids out of the NE10.
Tickets will be available each day at Sodexo Field. Daily admission will be $10 for adults, $5 for children (12 and under) and senior citizens (65+), and $3 for college students (with valid institutional ID). Per NCAA policy, no complimentary admission will be permitted.
Franklin Pierce will provide live stats and live video throughout the duration of the tournament. Details and links will be available at the Championship Central web page, which is linked at the top of this story.
The other side of the East Regional will be hosted by NE10 champion and top seed Saint Rose (17-0-3) at Plumeri Sports Complex in Albany, N.Y. The Golden Knights will host eighth-seeded Jefferson (11-6-1) on Friday at 1 p.m., following a game between fourth-seeded Mercy (13-2-2) and fifth-seeded Adelphi (12-5-2) at 10 a.m. The two winners will meet on Sunday at 2 p.m. Saint Rose and Mercy earned automatic bids as champions of the NE10 and East Coast Conference, respectively, while Jefferson was an at-large out of the CACC. Adelphi was an at-large bid out of the NE10, which gave the league five teams in the eight-team regional field.
The winners at both sub-regional sites will advance to the second weekend of NCAA Championship play, which will be hosted by the highest-remaining seed in the East Region. The two advancing teams from the Atlantic Region will join the East Region teams, with the third round of the tournament consisting of the regional title games. The two regional champions will then meet in the national quarterfinal.
NCAA Women's Soccer Championship East Regional
1. Saint Rose* (17-0-3)
2. Franklin Pierce University* (14-3-2)
3. Bridgeport (13-3-5)
4. Mercy (13-2-2)
5. Adelphi (12-5-2)
6. Saint Anselm (10-7-1)
7. Southern New Hampshire (6-5-5)
8. Jefferson (11-6-1)
* denotes host institutions