Photo by Luke Zayas/True To The Cru
Monday was a day of anticipation for the men’s and women’s soccer teams of UMHB.
Selection Monday, as it’s known, was a little less stressful for the Crusaders, as both teams had already clinched spots in the national tournament with ASC championship wins on Saturday. But regardless, UMHB’s teams did not know where or when or who they would face.
That news was released by the NCAA on Monday afternoon, as the men will host a four-team pod, while the women are set to travel south for the first weekend of the tournament.
The men, who defeated LeTourneau 6-0 on Saturday in Austin, are scheduled to face Pacific Lutheran at 7:30 p.m. CT in Belton on Nov. 12. Under first-year head coach Ben Allen, the Cru are 13-2-2 overall, with a 7-1-1 conference record. UMHB outscored its opposition in two matches at the ASC Tournament this past weekend, 11-1. This marks the second time that the Cru will host in the first round of the NCAA D-III Tournament, with the first having come 13 years ago in 2009, in the program’s first tournament appearance. PLU is 17-3 and qualified for the tournament by an at-large bid.
Tickets for the Belton regional will be sold at the Cru Soccer Field two hours before kickoff. Adults cost $10, while students and seniors cost $5. Children ages three and under are free. UMHB students will get in free with their Cru card.
The women, still undefeated with a 16-0-1 record, will make the short trip to San Antonio to the four-team pod hosted by Trinity (TX), the SCAC champion. In the first round, UMHB will battle Pacific Lutheran. PLU is 16-1-3, and claimed the Northwest Conference title on Sunday morning with a draw against Lewis & Clark College. This marks UMHB’s second appearance in the national tournament, with the first having come in 2017.
This is a special year for UMHB soccer, as it marks the second time in which both the men’s and women’s teams have qualified for the tournament in the same season, though this is the first in which both programs enter the tournament as ASC champions.
More details to come.
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