INDIANAPOLIS - After posting 12 wins and a runner-up finish in the 2013 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament, Anderson University men's soccer earned the No. 5 seed in the Southeast Region of the NCAA Division II Championships, as the Trojans will take on No. 4 seed Carson-Newman in their opening match in Gaffney, S.C., announced Monday night by the NCAA.
AU begins its tournament run on Thursday at 1 p.m. when it heads to the campus of Limestone, as the Saints earned the No. 1 seed within the Southeast Region. The winner of the Anderson and Carson-Newman will then take on LC on Saturday at 1 p.m. for a chance to advance to the Sweet 16.
On the bottom half of the bracket, SAC regular season and tournament champions, Queens University of Charlotte, earned the No. 2 seed in the region, as it awaits the winner of No. 3 seed Lander and No. 6 seed Flagler. Those matches will take place at the Jeff May Complex on the campus of Lander University.
AU will meet Carson-Newman for the second time this season, as C-N spoiled Anderson's Senior Day with a 3-2 overtime victory on Nov. 2. Despite winning seven straight contests to close the regular season, the Eagles were upset by sixth-seeded Mars Hill in the opening round of the SAC Tournament to end their conference tournament run. C-N enters the Southeast Regional with a 12-5 overall record.
After an upset win over second-seeded Wingate in its opening match, Anderson would later eliminate Mars Hill from the conference tournament with a 1-0 win to advance to the conference final. AU would eventually fall to Queens, 2-0, snapping a SAC Tournament winning streak of 11 straight victories.
By earning the spot in the NCAA Tournament, it marks the third time in the last four seasons AU has advanced past the conference tournament. In that span, the Trojans hold a 2-2 record, with their most recent result in 2011 suffering a loss in overtime, 3-2, to Lees-McRae.
"This is not only a great moment for the program, but this is a moment the athletic department and the university can surround around," head coach John Murphy said. "A lot of hard work came from a lot different people and I hope everyone can share this moment with pride. We have a positive feeling going into this match and we've been playing well. We had a competitive match with Carson-Newman in the regular season, and I'm expecting the same this time around. I'm really looking forward to it.
Kickoff with the Eagles is schedule for 1 p.m. from Saints Field on the campus of Limestone College.
