(AP) -- For the first time since 2003, both the Truman men’s and women’s soccer programs are headed to the Div. II NCAA tournament in the same season, as official selections were announced on Monday evening by the NCAA.
Both teams will take on the Mustangs of Midwestern (Texas) State in their respective first rounds later this week.
The announcement marked the fourth straight and ninth overall postseason appearance for the Bulldog women, while the Truman men are also headed to postseason play for the ninth time in program history.
After entering the postseason on a 12-match unbeaten streak, the Bulldog men (12-2-2) are headed to Wichita Falls, Texas, as the South Central region’s number two seed and will battle top-seeded Midwestern State (16-0-2) at 7 pm on Thursday (Nov. 11).
Should they win, the squad would then take on the Central region champion at a site to be determined on Sunday, Nov. 14.
Truman and Midwestern State have a limited history, having met just six times with MSU holding a slim 3-2-1 advantage in the all-time series. The last meeting, though, took place more than ten years ago on Oct. 1, 2000 – a 3-1 MSU win in Kirksville.
It is the second time under current head coach Duke Cochran that the Bulldogs have made the postseason, with Monday’s announcement marking the first trip to the tournament since 2005.
The last appearance resulted in a penalty kick defeat in a regional championship match against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville – now a Div. I program.
On the women’s side, head coach Mike Cannon’s squad earned the No. 6 seed in the South Central region and will travel to Warrensburg, Mo., as part of one of two sub-regionals.
The Bulldogs (10-3-5) will take on Midwestern State (16-3), the region’s No. 3 seed, at 1 pm on Friday (Nov. 12) afternoon on the campus of second-seeded Central Missouri.
The winner would then face UCM, who received a first-round bye, on Sunday (Nov. 14) in the sub-regional championship.
The Bulldogs and Midwestern State met in this season’s opener, with the Mustangs taking a 3-2 decision at the Central Oklahoma Invitational. \The all-time series is tied at one apiece after Truman won, 2-0, on Aug. 31, 2008 – also in Warrensburg. Truman went 0-2 against UCM (18-0) this season.
Truman traveled to West Texas A&M in last season’s NCAA tournament and defeated Nebraska-Omaha, 1-0, in the opening round before falling 1-0 to the host Lady Buffs.
Courtesy Truman State University
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