(Courtesy NKUNorse.com)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The storybook could not have had a more dramatic, or sweeter, ending.

In the driving snow, in front of hundreds of faithful fans, the Northern Kentucky University men’s soccer team accomplished a feat that no men’s team at NKU ever has, winning the NCAA Division II national championship with a 3-2 victory over Rollins College.

NKU finishes the season with a 20-2-3 record.

Jack Little got the crowd roaring a little over nine minutes into the contest, just flicking a free-kick opportunity from Paul Andrews past the outstretched hands of Tar goalkeeper Keneil Baker for his third goal of the season.

NKU senior Steven Beattie was held in check for the better part of the game. One of his best chances of the game came early on a ball played back to Baker. Beattie looked to slide in and steal a goal, but the Rollins goalkeeper was able to lift the ball with his boot and prevent the Irishman from sliding in for the marker.

(Courtesy NKUNorse.com)

(Courtesy GVSU Athletics)

Louisville, Ky. – Grand Valley State claimed its second NCAA Division II National Championship on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 4) in Louisville, Ky., with a 4-0 victory over #12 UC San Diego. GVSU recorded its first National Championships title last season and the last team to notch back-to-back championships was UC San Diego in 2000 and 2001. The Lakers had four different players record goals and notched its 21st shutout win. GVSU finishes the 2010 season with an impressive record of 22-1-2.

The 2010 Grand Valley State Lakers set a school record and an NCAA Division II record for shutouts in a season with 21 and held opponents to just five goals this season. The tough GVSU backline also played the entire home schedule without giving up a goal and did not allow a goal in the postseason. Grand Valley State recorded a goal in 24 of its 25 matches and had 16 student-athletes notch a goal for the Lakers this season. Grand Valley State outscored opponents by a 93-5 margin this season and set a tournament record with 17 goals scored.

Read More: GVSU Athletics

(Courtesy Ron Besser/GoArgos.com)

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The West Florida women’s soccer team moved up one spot to No. 6 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/HendrickCars.com national poll released on Tuesday.  After winning a third straight Gulf South Conference title over the weekend, the Argonauts will begin their quest for the NCAA Division II national title on Sunday, Nov. 14.

Saint Rose stayed undefeated at 21-0 and held onto the top spot in the national poll, followed by Central Missouri at No. 2.  After winning the Sunshine State Conference title, Tampa moved up to No. 17, and the Spartans will play their first round game at UWF on Friday against North Alabama.  After losing to Tampa in the quarterfinals of the SSC Tournament, Rollins fell out of the national poll but will still start the NCAA Tournament as the top seed in the region.

Senior Shakira Duncan (Kingston, Jamaica/Darton), the GSC Player of the Year and GSC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, leads NCAA Division II in goals (1.5) and points (3.55) per game.  The reigning Daktronics National Player of the Year is trying to repeat as the national scoring champion, a feat that has happened twice in the last 10 years (Missy Gregg of Christian Brothers in 2001-02, Katy Tafler of Grand Valley State in 2006-07).

UWF will receive a first round bye in the NCAA Tournament, and on Sunday the Argonauts will face the winner of Friday’s Tampa vs. North Alabama game.  The first round game between UT and UNA will be at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12, with the winner advancing to play UWF on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 12:30 p.m.

The Toros got their first look at the goal during the ninth minute, but goalkeeper Chelsea Parise was there to record her first save of the game, when she caught a header off a throw in. Parise then quickly threw the ball up the field where Kayla Addison took a shot at the goal which landed just wide of the net. Freshman Maria Brown recorded the Lakers’ first shot on goal attempt at the 25:47 mark, when she took a high shot from the left side, but goalie Alyssa Congdon was able to get a hand on it. Brown tried again from the left side during the 39th minute, but Congdon was there yet again with the save.

A minute later freshman forward Ashley Botts took a shot from inside the box which hit the right cross bar. Irie Dennis rebounded the miss shot and took a shot of her own which was caught by Congdon. The Lakers outshot the Toros by an 11-7 edge in the first half. In the shots on goal column GVSU and CSU Dominguez Hills were tied at three apiece. Grand Valley State controlled the ball most of the first half taking five corner kicks, while the Toros did not attempt one.

After a scoreless first half, freshman midfielder Erin Hilbert took the ball down the middle of the field and took a shot from just outside the box during the 72nd minute. Keeper Congdon was there to save the goal and keep the game scoreless.

FULL STORY

–Courtesy GVSU Athletics

Two to six teams were selected from each of the eight regions. Teams from the same region will be paired for opening- first and second-round competition, which will be conducted November 11-15 on campus sites. Quarterfinals will be held on campus sites and completed by November 22. The semifinals and final will be played December 3 & 5 at the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida.

In the 2008 championship, Cal State Dominguez Hills claimed the championship title with a 3-0 victory over Dowling.

FULL RELEASE

–Courtesy NCAA

For first- and second-round competition, teams will be paired in their respective regions with the No. 4 seed playing the No. 5 seed; and the No. 3 seed playing the No. 6 seed Friday, November 13.  The winner of the No.4/5 seed game will advance to play the No. 1 seed and the winner of the No. 3/6 seed game will play the No. 2 seed on Sunday, November 15.  The West region (UC San Diego site) and Central Region (Metro St. site) will play first-round games on Thursday, November 12 and its second round game on Saturday, November 14.  All games will be played on the campus of a participating institution and will consist of two sites per region.  The two finalists in each region will advance to the third- and quarterfinal-round competition to be played Friday, November 20 and Sunday, November 22.  The semifinals and championship games will be played and December 3 & 5 at the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida.

FULL RELEASE

–Courtesy NCAA

The number one ranking is the highest ranking in school’s history.

The Bobcats moved up to number one after going 1-0 the previous week with a 3-0 win over Belmont Abbey. The Bobcats have started the season 10-0 overall and 5-0 in the Conference Carolinas to earn the number one ranking. The team currently ranked number one in the Southeast Region and has held that ranking since September 8th, six consecutive weeks.

“We are happy and very proud of where we are at right now, but this wasn’t a goal of ours in October,” head coach Chris Whalley said. “We have plenty of soccer left to play this season before we can reach our goals we set at the beginning of the season.”

The Bobcats have a tough schedule left in the 2009 season. They have to travel to currently ranked No. 22 Anderson for a conference match and host regionally ranked Tusculum.

“We understand there is extra pressure with being number,” Whalley said. “That starts Tuesday night against Queens, but we are the same team and we will continue play our soccer.”

REGIONAL RANKINGS

Rank School W-L Points Prev
1 Grand Valley St. (24) 6-0 624 1
2 Abilene Christian 6-0 593 2
3 North Ala. (1) 6-0 577 3
4 Central Wash. 6-0 532 5
5 Bloomsburg 6-0 519 4
6 Northwest Mo. St. 5-1 501 6
7 Minn. St. Mankato 6-0 469 7
8 Minn. Duluth 5-1 453 8
9 Tex. A&M-Kingsville 6-0 438 9
10 Albany St. (Ga.) 5-0 391 10

FULL RANKINGS
REGIONAL RANKINGS

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Rank School Points Prev
1 Adams St. 25 1
2 Western St. 24 2
3 Cal St. Chico 23 4
4 Grand Valley St. 22 3
5 Queens (N.C.) 21 5
6 Abilene Christian 20 6
7 Colorado Mines 19 7
8 Western Wash. 18 8
9 Stonehill 17 9
10 Southern Ind. 16 11

FULL RANKINGS

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Rank School Points Prev
1 Cal St. Chico 25 3
2 Grand Valley St. 24 2
3 Mo. Southern St. 23 7
4 Adams St. 22 1
5 Alas. Anchorage 21 5
6 Shippensburg 20 4
7 Western Wash. 19 8
8 Tampa 18 9
9 Augustana (S.D.) 17 10
10 Mesa St. 16 15

FULL RANKINGS

FIELD HOCKEY

Rank School W-L Points Prev
1 Bloomsburg (14) 11-1 148 2
2 Shippensburg (1) 12-1 131 1
3 East Stroudsburg 11-2 106 3
4 Stonehill 10-2 99 6
5 Mass.-Lowell 10-2 83 4
6 Kutztown 7-5 71 5
7 Bentley 8-3 48 8
8 Mercyhurst 6-3 43 7
9 Merrimack 8-5 29 9
10 Millersville 6-6 21 10

REGIONAL RANKINGS

MEN’S SOCCER

Rank School W-L Points Prev
1 Cal St. L.A. 11-0-1 25 2
2 Lees-McRae 9-0-0 24 3
3 Tampa 6-0-1 23 4
4 Millersville 9-1-0 22 5
5 Southern N.H. 10-1-1 21 6
6 Drury 11-0-0 20 8
7 Sonoma St. 10-0-2 19 7
8 Fort Lewis 9-1-0 18 9
9 Truman 9-1-1 17 10
10 Slippery Rock 10-1-0 16 12

http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-soccer/division_ii1.html
REGIONAL RANKINGS

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Rank School W-L Points Prev
1 West Fla. 11-0-0 25 2
2 St. Rose 11-0-0 24 3
3 Columbus St. 10-0-1 23 5
4 Grand Valley St. 10-0-2 22 4
5 Seattle Pacific 10-1-0 21 1
6 Metro St. 11-1-0 20 6
7 Carson-Newman 11-0-0 19 7
8 Rollins 8-1-1 18 8
9 West Chester 9-1-1 17 9
10 Midwestern St. 8-0-2 16 10

FULL RANKINGS
REGIONAL RANKINGS

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

1 Concordia-St. Paul (32) 19-0 800 1
2 Cal St. San B’dino 16-0 768 2
3 UC San Diego 16-1 721 3
4 Central Mo. 19-3 692 5
5 Neb.-Kearney 18-1 638 8
6 West Tex. A&M 18-3 615 6
7 Washburn 19-2 594 9
8 Emporia St. 17-2 579 6
9 Tampa 14-2 564 4
10 Minn. Duluth 14-3 506 10

FULL RANKINGS

CSUDH, which finishes its Championship season at 21-2-4, got hot at the right time as the Toros posted a 13-game unbeaten streak to end 2008, which included five-consecutive wins in a dominant NCAA postseason in which they outscored their opponents 15-3, and posted 3 wins via shutout.

In the NCAA postseason, the Toros posted a 3-0 win over 25th-ranked Notre Dame de Namur in the first round (Nov. 13), and followed that with a 4-0 victory over 18th-ranked Cal State L.A. (Nov. 15) to claim the West Region title before taking out 3rd-ranked Midwestern State, 2-1, in a heart-stopping and foggy night in Carson (Nov. 22) to advance to the NCAA semifinals in Tampa.

Here, they disposed of host and 11th-ranked Tampa University 3-2 in overtime on Friday night before blasting Dowling to win the National Championship.

This marks the second NCAA National Title for the Cal State Dominguez Hills men’s soccer program after the Toros won their first in a 2-1 four-overtime thriller over Barry University in 2000, and the third overall NCAA National Title after the 1991 women’s soccer team claimed the first ever NCAA Championship.

FULL STORY

– Courtesy CSUDH Athletics