HICKORY, N.C. - For the sixth consecutive season and 11th time overall, the Lenoir-Rhyne women's soccer team will be heading to the NCAA tournament. This year they earned the No. 6 seed and will face off against a familiar foe in No. 3 Columbus State. 

This game will take place at 12 p.m. ET on Friday, November 21st, at the University of North Georgia Soccer Complex in Dahlonega, Georgia. North Georgia earned the No. 2 seed in the region and will take on No. 7 seeded Anderson. 

First year head coach Justin Maullin's squad sports a 10-4-3 record and were runner-up to No. seeded Catawba in the SAC regular season. Their streak of two consecutive SAC tournament titles was stopped on Saturday, November 8th, when Wingate took down the Bears in PK's. The Bears have a strong history in the NCAA Tournament, having made two runs to the national quarterfinals (2010, 2023) and one run to the national semi-finals (2021). 

Columbus State (14-5-1) is no stranger to the postseason as they have made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, winning eight NCAA Southeast Regional titles and making four trips to the national semi-finals. The Cougars are hot, winning eight in a row and taking down perennial power North Georgia 1-0 in the Peach Belt Championship game. 

These teams met once earlier this season, with Lenoir-hyne winning 2-1 down in Columbus. The Cougars hold a 4-3-3 all-time series lead over the Bears and a 2-1-2 lead in NCAA Tournament games, but haven't beaten Lenoir-Rhyne since a 1-0 win in 2022. Lenoir-Rhyne won a trilling 4-2 PK shootout in the NCAA Second Round two years ago in Hickory. 

More information on the tournament will be released later this week.