HICKORY, N.C. - The Lenoir-Rhyne Men's and Women's soccer teams are set to both host the first round of the SAC tournament tomorrow evening.
In an interesting twist of fate, both teams will face off against their rival Wingate. The women's game is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. with the men's game set to take place at 7:30 p.m.
The Lenoir-Rhyne women's team earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, while Wingate is the No. 7 seed. These teams played an unusual game earlier this year. With the Bears up 1-0 in the 54th minute on Saturday, the contest was postponed due to rain until Monday, where neither team scored and Lenoir-Rhyne held on for the 1-0 win. The Bears are looking for their sixth straight NCAA tournament appearance, having advance to the national semi-finals in 2021 and quarterfinals in 2023. Despite their seed, the Bulldogs appeared in the first regional rankings at the No. 6 seed, which means they will be desperate for a win to keep themselves in a solid spot to make the playoffs.
The Lenoir-Rhyne men's team has been on a tear as of late, going 6-0-3 in their last nine contests. Despite a rough start to the year against some high quality competition, the Bears have battled back and earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, giving them home field advantage. With the SAC extremely balanced this year the Bulldogs earned the No. 5 seed despite their 3-4-3 record, defeating Coker 1-0 in the final game of the regular season to lock up the trip to Hickory. Neither team appeared in the first edition of the NCAA Regional Rankings, meaning this is a win or go home scenario on both sides.
Tickets for Saturday's SAC Doubleheader - HERE
- $10 - Adults
- $5 - Military, Seniors (60+), Children 6-12
- $2 - College Students with ID
- Free - Children 5 and Under
All Lenoir-Rhyne students get in free courtesy of Lenoir-Rhyne SGA, and free hot chocolate will be given out to the first 100 Lenoir-Rhyne students.
