HICKORY, NC - Fresh off their second straight South Atlantic Conference Tournament Championship, head coach Jo Fennema and the Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Soccer Team return to Hickory to host the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bears will take on #7 seeded Lander in their opening round game, which is set to take place at 3 p.m. from the Soccer Field at the Moretz Sports Complex.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, November 22
- 12:00 PM - (3) North Georgia vs. (6) Wingate
- 3:00 PM - (2) Lenoir-Rhyne vs. (7) Lander
Sunday, November 24
- 3:00 PM - Winner game one vs. Winner game two
Lenoir-Rhyne, who comes in as the #2 seed in the Region, will play host the #7 seed Lander. The Bearcats come into the matchup with an 8-3-5 record and will be making just their second NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. Lander's only other NCAA appearance ended with a penalty kick shootout loss to Lincoln Memorial in the first round back in 2018. The Bearcats, who fell 4-2 in the first round of the Peach Belt Tournament, are led by sophomore Angele Hills. Named to the All-PBC Second Team, Hills leads the team with 16 points, coming off seven goals and two assists. Joining her on the second team were senior midfielder Maren White, and Junior defender Lucy Bova, who combined for six goals and two assists.
Lander has had a good amount of overlap with the Bears this season, as they hold a 2-1-2 record against Wingate, Lee, North Georgia, Anderson, and Columbus State. Lenoir-Rhyne holds the same 2-1-2 record against those schools.
The Bears are led by dynamic senior
Evan O'Leary, who was named the SAC Offensive Player of the Year. She is tied for the national lead with 14 assists, and has added eight goals as well to total 30 points. Freshman
Ava Hartman has been a key addition this season, tying for the team lead with eight goals. In total, 15 Bears have scored goals this season and eight have notched an assist. After going just 1-1-2 over the final four games of the regular season, LR stepped up in the SAC Tournament, outscoring their opponents 7-2 en route to their second straight title.
For fans looking to attend, tickets can be purchased both ahead of time or at the gate. Gate tickets can be purchased with both cash or card, and prices at $10 for adults, $5 for students with ID, and $5 for children 2-12. For any fans who can't make it, all games will be streamed for free on Flosports.
GAME COVERAGE LINKS
