Lander, Francis Marion Advance to NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS, IND – Just one day after playing an epic PBC tournament final, both Francis Marion and Lander learned that their seasons will continue as two of the 32 teams named to the NCAA Tournament field. Both teams will play in the southeast region, one of only two regions that have six teams. Due to the configuration of the region, both teams will be in action this Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Francis Marion will be making their second NCAA Tournament appearance, their first since 2000. The Patriots won the PBC regular-season championship and the PBC Tournament with a dramatic 1-0 double-overtime win against Lander on Sunday night. At 13-4-3 overall, FMU has won nine straight games heading into the NCAAs and are unbeaten in 13 straight. FMU will be facing Carson-Newman on Wednesday, that game will be played at CN’s campus in Jefferson City, Tenn. The two teams met earlier this season on Sept. 13 with Carson-Newman winning 5-0. FMU lost just one more game the rest of the season. The winner of Wednesday’s game will face Lees-McRae in the second round over the weekend.

Lander returns to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season and are making their sixth tournament appearance as a PBC member. The Bearcats are 12-4-2 on the season and finished in a tie for second in the PBC standings. Lander advanced to the PBC Tournament final for the third straight season and lead the PBC in goals scored for the season. The Bearcats will also be traveling on Wednesday to nearby Gaffney, S.C. to face Limestone in the first round. The two teams met back on Oct. 21 with Limestone coming away with a 1-0 win after scoring the game’s lone goal with under five minutes left in regulation. The winner of Wednesday’s game will hit the road this weekend to Greenville, Tenn., to face Tusculum.

Game times have yet to be announced and the dates for future rounds will be solidified following first-round play. The NCAA Tournament will conclude with the national semifinals and finals Dec. 4-6 at the University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla.