INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Central Oklahoma will make its 14th appearance in the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship, it was announced Monday.
UCO will be the No. 6 seed in the eight-team Central Region. The Bronchos drew No. 3 seeded Bemidji State (Minn.) in the first round of the national tournament and will play Friday, Nov. 19.
Emporia State is the No. 2 seed and will host No. 7 Northwest Missouri as well as the UCO-BSU contest. The winners of each game are scheduled to play Sunday, Nov. 21 in the second round of the national tournament.
Top-seeded Central Missouri is also hosting half the Central Regional. UCM will play No. 8 Southwestern Oklahoma State while No. 4 Minnesota State and No. 5 Oklahoma Baptist also compete.
The two sub-regional winners will meet in the Sweet 16 for the Central Region Championship in two weeks. The Midwest Region final will be the host site of both contests, with the two winners playing for a spot in the national semifinals in December in Colorado Springs. The 2021 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer National Championship is scheduled for Dec. 11.
Central Oklahoma is 13-5-2 this fall. The Bronchos were the fourth-seed in the MIAA Championship and won its first-round match before falling in the semifinals.
UCO and Bemidji State have never met on the soccer field. Bemidji went 18-1-2 this fall and won the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season tournament before a runner-up finish in the conference postseason tournament.
