CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College women's soccer team will kick off NCAA Tournament play in Miami, Florida on Friday Nov. 9th at 12 P.M. Central time when they face #6 seed Nova Southeastern in the South Sub-Regional First Round match. The winner of Friday's match will advance to play on Sunday Nov. 11th at 12 P.M. Central time in the South Sub-Regional Championship match against the #2 seed and host Barry University.

MC NOTES
- The Lady Choctaws (14-3-0) were named the #3 seed in the South Region on Monday, Nov. 5th during the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Selection Show, being placed in the Miami Sub-Regional hosted by the #2 seed Barry, who earned a first round bye, and drawing a first round match up against the #6 seed Nova Southeastern.
- The selection show on Monday marked the second time in program history that the Lady Choctaws were selected for NCAA post season play. Last season the Lady Choctaws made history when they were selected to be the #1 seed in the South Regional making it the first time the program played in the NCAA Tournament.
- MC is coming off the wrong end of a stunning upset of the Gulf South Conference post-season tournament when in the first round the #2 seeded Lady Choctaws fell to the #7 seeded Montevallo Falcons by a score of 1-0. It was the earliest exit from the GSC tournament for the Lady Choctaws since returning to NCAA Division II.
- The Lady Choctaws came in at number 20 in the latest Division II national poll compiled by the United Soccer Coaches Association on Tuesday, Nov. 6. MC fell two spots after the loss to Montevallo a week ago.
- MC will enter the post season only allowing 10 goals through 17 matches, which was good enough to post the Gulf South Conference's second lowest goals against average of (.59). All GSC First-Team Selection Gaylynn Cooper and All GSC Second-Team Selections Liza Wise and Gabby Kayser have helped lead a Lady Choctaw defense that has posted nine shutouts on the year.
- In goal for the Lady Choctaws will likely be the senior and former All-GSC First Team selection Andrea McDonald who has been called into action due to a hand injury to Kayser. On the season McDonald has started 6 matches, posting a record of 4-2 with 16 saves on 33 shots faced.
- The offense for the Lady Choctaws was consistently solid throughout the year. Senior Lauren Smith paced the team with seven goals this season. Junior Emma Claire Furman was right behind Smith notching five goals of her own. MC as a team netted 31 goals in 2018.

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN NOTES
- The Sharks (13-6-1) finished the regular season in second place in the Sunshine State Conference standings and made it to the SSC Tournament Final where they lost to the Sub-Regional host Barry by a score of 6-0.
- Nova is led by Head Coach John Constable, who is in his fourth season with the program, and in all four of his seasons the Sharks have reached the NCAA Tournament.
- The Sharks will bring a dynamic offense into the tournament as they have notched 46 goals as a team this season. Leading the way for Nova is junior Emma Heikkila who has netted nine goals and has five assists on the year for the Sharks. Another player to watch is senior Jemma House. House is just one goal behind Heikkila on the season with eight and is always a threat to score at the forward position.
- The defense for Nova has been shaky at times this season with the team allowing 32 goals on the year and the team is coming off their worst defensive effort of the year in the SSC Tournament Final giving up six goals to Barry.

BARRY NOTES
- The Buccaneers (16-0-1) will enter the tournament as the champions of the Sunshine State Conference and are ranked #9 nationally in the United Soccer Coaches Division II poll. This will be the first tournament appearance for Barry since 2016 and it will be their 24th NCAA Tournament in program history.
- Since the Buccaneers earned the automatic bid by winning the SSC tournament, they also earned the right to host this Sub-Regional and they have a first round bye in the tournament. Barry will await the winner of MC and Nova in the Sub-Regional Final on Nov. 11th at 12 P.M. Central time.

SERIES HISTORY
- The Lady Choctaws are 0-1 all-time against the Sharks with the lone meeting coming back in 2016 which resulted in a 2-0 victory for Nova in a neutral contest in Florence, Ala.
- If MC earns the right to face Barry, it will be the first meeting between the two schools. The Lady Choctaws were scheduled to face Barry earlier this season but the match was canceled due to weather. 

MATCH COVERAGE
- Live stats and live video will be available for both matches (weather permitting) on Barry's athletics website.
- Friday's match will kick-off at 12 P.M. Central time and if the Lady Choctaws advance, Sunday's Sub-Regional Final will also kick-off at 12 P.M. Central time.
 

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC is recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and will be competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.

 The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.

 For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.