In a historic first for their program, the Northern Michigan University women’s soccer team has been chosen to host the initial two rounds of the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships. This marks the third occasion the Wildcats have qualified for the tournament and the first time they have the honor of hosting it. Entering the postseason as the second-ranked team in the region, the ‘Cats are set to face seventh-ranked Maryville on Friday, November 17. This match is a rematch from last season’s NCAA tournament, where the ‘Cats were eliminated by Maryville.

The games in Marquette, held at NMU’s campus, will commence on Friday, November 17, with two matches: at 10 a.m., third-seeded Grand Valley State will face sixth-seeded McKendree, followed by the ‘Cats’ game against Maryville at 1 p.m. The second round is scheduled for Sunday, November 19, with the opponents to be determined.

Meanwhile, the Michigan Tech Soccer team, earning the No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region, faced off against top-seeded Ashland. This matchup, which was their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since the 201415 season, took place on Thursday, November 16, at Ashland, who also hosted the other sub-region in the Midwest. The winner of Michigan Tech-Ashland will play the winner of downstate Northwood University and Cedarville (Ohio).

The progression of the tournament will see the two finalists from each sub-region moving forward to the third and quarterfinal rounds, scheduled for November 30, December 1, December 2, and December 3. The journey culminates with the semifinals and championship games on December 7 and 9 at the Sportsplex at Matthews in Matthews, North Carolina, with Wingate University serving as the host.