DAHLONEGA, GA - The No. 6 seeded Lenoir-Rhyne women's soccer team will open its NCAA Tournament campaign tomorrow against Francis Marion, who earned the No. 3 seed in the Southeast Region.

The game will take place at 12:00 p.m. in Dahlonega, Georgia, on the campus of North Georgia University. 

Since opening the season 5-6, the Bears have been on a tear, winning eight of its next nine games, with that lone non-victory being a 0-0 draw against North Georgia in Dahlonega. One of those eight victories happened to be a 1-0 defeat of Catawba in the South Atlantic Conference championship game, giving LR its sixth SAC Tournament title and an auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament. Part of this resurgance in the back half of the season has to do with the return of goalkeeper Riley Miller, who missed the first 11 games due to injury. The junior is 8-0-1 in net with a 0.56 goals allowed per game average. Lenoir-Rhyne placed eight individuals on the All-SAC team, with Mya Rivera leading the way on the first team. Katie Durham, the goalscorer in that SAC Championship game, leads the team with 14 points on six goals and two assists. Kennedy Flowers (11), Alexis Cagno (10), and Rivera (10) have all reached double-figures in points this season. 

Francis Marion will be making its third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and fifth overall, having been part of the field in 1998, 2000, 2024, and 2025. This year's Patriots squad is 15-4-1 and took down UNC Pembroke 1-0 to win the Conference Carolinas Tournament on Saturday. This team is a defensive juggernaut, ranking 13th in the country with 13 shutouts on the year, thanks in part due to Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year Alana Hunt. Four separate goalkeepers have started for FMU, with freshman Ryleigh Ackerman starting the last four games and posting four consecutive shutouts. In addition to their defense, the Patriots rank third in the country with 172 points. This team is led on offense by Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year Tehya Dave', who has posted 35 points (10g, 15a) across her 20 games. The program's point leader Matea Bradfield (37 points) has a team high 14 goals, including two game winners. 

The Bears and Patriots met once this season, a 3-2 comeback victory for Lenoir-Rhyne back on September 2nd. The Patriots led 2-0 after the first 15 minutes, but a brace from Mya Rivera and goal from Kennedy Flowers with two minutes remaining gave the Bears the win. Francis Marion will be looking for its first NCAA Tournament victory, while the Bears are looking for their 11th. 

Southeast Region Weekend Schedule

• Dahlonega, Ga.
  • Friday, Nov. 13 - (3) Francis Marion vs. (6) Lenoir-Rhyne - 12:00 p.m.
  • Friday, Nov. 13 - (2) North Georgia vs. (7) Lees-McRae - 3:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, Nov. 15 - Winners face off at 3:00 p.m. 
• Columbus, Ga.
  • Friday, Nov. 13 - (4) Catawba vs. (5) UNC Pembroke - 10:00 a.m.
  • Friday, Nov. 13 - (1) Columbus State vs. (8) Flagler - 1:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, Nov. 15 - Winners face off at 1:00 p.m.