Pirate Soccer Earns NCAA Championships Bid, Hosts Regional

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The No. 8-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University women's soccer squad has earned an at-large berth into the 2010 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championships, released Monday evening by the NCAA selection committee.

The Pirates (13-3-2) are the second seed in the Southeast region, earning a first-round bye as well as serving as one of two regional hosts this coming weekend. UNC Pembroke (15-3-2) earned an at-large selection and is the third seed , set to face Conference Carolinas tournament champion and sixth-seeded Pfeiffer (13-5-2) on Friday, November 12, at the AASU Soccer Field.

Armstrong will then take on the winner of the UNC Pembroke / Pfeiffer match on Sunday, November 14, for the right to advance to the Southeast Region championship match.

The Pirates are into the NCAAs for the fourth time in the six-year history of the women's soccer program. Head coach Eric Faulconer's squad has been ranked in the NSCAA's Top 25 all season long and captured the school's first Peach Belt regular season title this year.

The other half of the Southeast region features top-seeded Columbus State (19-1-1), who will host and face the winner of South Atlantic Conference champion Lenoir-Rhyne (16-2-1) and Conference Carolinas at-large recipient Belmont Abbey (17-1-3) in the second round.

This is the second time that the Pirates have hosted an NCAA soccer regional event - back in 2007, Armstrong was the No. 3 seed and hosted Lincoln Memorial and Tusculum, eventually won by Tusculum. This is the first time that Armstrong has earned a first-round bye in the tournament.

The Pirates currently sport a 16-match unbeaten streak at the AASU Soccer Field, dating back to the beginning of the 2008 season, and Armstrong is 2-0 against the Southeast Region field this year, earning a 2-0 win over top-seeded Columbus State on Oct. 9 and a 2-1 win over third-seeded UNC Pembroke on Oct. 23.