NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship Info | National Tournament Pairings
SEWARD, Neb. – On the heels of a 10-game winning streak that pushed Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer into the 2024 GPAC Championship Game, the team learned of its national tournament draw on Saturday (Nov. 16) afternoon. The Bulldogs have been assigned to Grand Rapids, Mich., and will get a rematch with Benedictine College (Kan.) on Thursday, Nov. 21 as part of the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship First Round. Game time is to be announced.
Head Coach Nick Smith and his family hosted the team at their residence to watch the NAIA’s live selection show. The winner between Benedictine and Concordia will advance to play the site host, Aquinas College, on Saturday, Nov. 23 in the second round.
Smith will lead the Bulldogs into the national tournament in his second season at the helm of the program. Concordia made previous appearances at the national tournament opening round in 2014 and 2016. The Bulldogs traveled to Atchison, Kan., in 2014 (4-0 loss to Benedictine) and to West Palm Beach, Fla., in 2016 (2-0 loss to Keiser). The 2020 squad that won the GPAC tournament championship was unable to travel to nationals due to COVID-19.
The Bulldogs will take an overall record of 13-6-1 into the national tournament. Concordia earned the GPAC’s second automatic bid to nationals while placing as the runner up in the GPAC regular season and postseason. As part of the GPAC tournament, Concordia won home games over College of Saint Mary, 3-0, in the quarterfinals and Dordt, 1-0, in the semifinals.
Concordia has played Benedictine frequently during nonconference play in recent seasons. The Bulldogs and Ravens met up earlier this fall in what amounted to a 2-0 win for the Ravens in Seward. In the most recent NAIA coaches’ poll, Aquinas was ranked fifth and Benedictine was listed among others receiving votes.
The winners that emerge from the NAIA first/second round sites will advance to play at the final site of the national championship tournament, Pensacola, Fla., Dec. 2-9.
National Tournament Facts
· Concordia is 0-2 in its two previous trips to the NAIA national tournament. While making their first-ever appearance at nationals, the 2014 Bulldogs were defeated by ninth-ranked Benedictine College (Kan.), 4-0. Two years later, Concordia ventured to Keiser University (Fla.) and lost by a 2-0 score at the hands of the third-ranked Seahawks. The 2020 team qualified for nationals after winning the GPAC tournament title but was unable to make the trip in the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19. The program remains in search of its first-ever national tournament win. In addition, it continues to seek its first goal on the national stage.
· Nick Smith is the third coach in program history to lead the Bulldogs to a national tournament qualification. The others were Greg Henson (2014 and 2016) and Thomas Goines (2020). Each of the previous three national qualifiers were GPAC tournament champions. The 2024 team earned the GPAC’s second automatic bid to nationals after placing second in the conference for both the regular season and postseason. Below is a summary of Concordia’s national qualifying teams. Interestingly, the program’s one GPAC regular season champion (2017 squad) did not qualify for nationals. At that time, the GPAC was awarded only one automatic bid.
o 2024 – 13-6-1 overall (8-3 GPAC; 2nd); GPAC tournament runner up
o 2020 – 11-6-2 overall (9-2-1 GPAC; T-2nd); GPAC tournament champion
o 2016 – 15-6-1 overall (7-3 GPAC; 3rd); GPAC tournament champion
o 2014 – 16-3-3 overall (7-0-3 GPAC; 2nd); GPAC tournament champion
There are three players in the program who were on the 2020-21 roster when the Bulldogs most recently qualified for nationals: Hannah Haas, Kassidy Johnson and Bradi Ore. Assistant coach Grace Soenksen was a member of the ’20 team that won the GPAC tournament title. However, no current players have ever experienced a national tournament game. Based on those who earned First Team All-GPAC awards, the top Concordia players on past national qualifying teams were Rachel Mussell, Jessica Skerston and Melissa Stine in 2014, Sami Birmingham and Maria Detter in 2016 and Mekeila Martinez and Grace Soenksen in 2020.