Courtesy of Ferris State Athletic Communications
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. -- For the first time in school history, the Ferris State University women's soccer team will compete in the NCAA Division II National Semifinals as FSU squares off against West Chester (Pa.) on Thursday (Dec. 1) night in Seattle, Wash.
The Bulldogs, who have won four consecutive postseason contests to advance to the D2 final four, will take on the Golden Rams at 8 p.m. (ET) on Thursday night at Interbay Stadium on the campus of Seattle Pacific University as part of the Division II Fall Sports Festival.
Thursday's national semifinal will be televised live at NCAA.com.
Ferris State is seeded fourth overall in the reseeded final four and will meet the top-seeded Golden Rams in the first semifinal contest. The second semifinal game pits second-seeded Columbus State and third-seeded Western Washington at 11 p.m. (ET) with the two winners slated to play for the national championship on Saturday (Dec. 3) at 6 p.m. (ET) in Seattle.
The Bulldogs, who are presently 12-5-7 overall this year, claimed the Midwest Region Championship by topping rival and defending national champion Grand Valley State in penalty kicks following a 0-0 double-overtime draw on Nov. 18 in Bemidji, Minn. FSU then eliminated Central Region champion and host Bemidji State with a 2-0 victory on Nov. 20.
This year represents the Bulldogs' third-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and the Bulldogs have posted a pair of wins and two ties before ultimately advancing on penalty kicks in their four rounds of tournament action to date this year.
Meanwhile, West Chester enters the national semifinals with a 20-0-1 overall record to date this season and is coming off a 2-1 triumph in the national quarterfinals over Franklin Pierce on Nov. 20. The Golden Rams claimed the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) title with a 15-0-1 league mark this year.
This year's women's soccer national championships are part of the Division II Fall Sports Festival, which is an olympic-style event that includes a number of national championship contests held at a single site over several days. The concept was developed in the early 2000s as a way to provide student-athletes with a championships experience that exceeds what they normally would enjoy in their conference or NCAA postseason events. Division II is the only NCAA division that conducts a national championship festival.
