SAN ANTONIO – The Trinity University women's soccer team (14-2-1) has earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship and will host first- and second-round play at Paul McGinlay Field. The Tigers will face the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders on Saturday, Nov. 14, in the first round. The winner advances to the second round on Sunday, Nov. 15, against the winner of Saturday's first-round matchup between No. 21 University of Puget Sound and Concordia University Texas.
Trinity enters the tournament as SAA Tournament runner-up after falling 1-0 to Centre College in the championship match on Sunday, Nov. 8. Both sides created chances in a scoreless first half. Centre broke through in the 61st minute, when its forward ran onto a through ball behind the Trinity backline and muscled her way to the finish. The Tigers kept up the pressure and nearly equalized in the closing minutes.
Alex Doran (Boerne, Texas / Geneva School of Boerne) served a ball into the box, and
Lilly Fant (Crownsville, Md. / Old Mill) headed it on target, but the ball hit the inside of the post and rolled along the goal line before going out. Despite the loss, Trinity's 14-2-1 season secured an at-large bid.
NCAA Tournament First Round
Trinity opens the NCAA Tournament against the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
On the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders: The Crusaders are a familiar opponent for Trinity, with the programs meeting 11 times. The Tigers hold a 9-1-1 advantage in the all-time series, and the Crusaders' last win came in 2023. Since then, Trinity is 1-0-1 against UMHB, and the Tigers are 6-1 all-time against the Crusaders at home.
Earlier this season, Trinity opened its home slate on Sept. 6 with a 2-1 comeback win over the Crusaders. UMHB took a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute, but
Maggie Hartnett (San Antonio, Texas / Alamo Heights) tied it less than a minute into the second half, finishing a ball from
Lila Brackin (Dallas, Texas / Lake Highlands) in the 46th minute.
Anna Newland (Kirkwood, Mo. / Kirkwood High School) then gave the Tigers the lead for good in the final 15 minutes, heading in a cross from
Madisyn Barganski (Corpus Christi, Texas / Flour Bluff). Trinity outshot UMHB 16-8, including 7-4 on target.
The Crusaders (10-5-5, 8-2 ASC) earned the American Southwest Conference's automatic bid by beating Hardin-Simmons in the ASC Tournament final, 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw. The win came after two 2-1 regular-season losses to the Cowgirls. UMHB's notable results include a 2-2 draw with No. 24 California Lutheran.
Players to watch: Key contributors for the Crusaders include sophomore midfielder Gracie Ruthven, who has six goals and six assists, sophomore forward Audrey Harlien, who has five goals, and senior forward Leila Cunningham, who has three goals and two assists.
Potential NCAA Second Round Opponents
If Trinity advances, the Tigers will face the winner of Puget Sound and Concordia on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m.
On the Puget Sound Loggers: Trinity and Puget Sound have met six times, with the Tigers holding a 5-1 edge in the all-time series. The first meeting came in 2002. Trinity also eliminated the Loggers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in both 2010 (2-0) and 2012 (1-0). The Tigers won the last home meeting, 1-0 in double overtime in 2018, before Puget Sound won the most recent matchup, 1-0, in Tacoma, Washington, in 2019.
The No. 21 Loggers (19-0-1) earned the Northwest Conference's automatic bid after going a perfect 16-0 in league play, closing the regular season with a 4-0 win over Whitworth. Their only blemish is a 2-2 draw with Azusa Pacific early in the season, and they have recorded 13 shutouts.
Players to watch: Key contributors for the Loggers include sophomore defender/midfielder Anya Dubois, who has seven goals and six assists, sophomore midfielder Kate Short, who has eight goals and one assist, and junior defender Ellie Rutken, who has five goals and three assists.
On the Concordia Tornadoes: Trinity and Concordia, former SCAC rivals, have met five times, with the Tigers holding a 4-0-1 advantage in the all-time series. The teams last met in nonconference play last season, when Trinity won 4-0 at Paul McGinlay Field.
After a scoreless first half, Barganski put the Tigers ahead in the 51st minute.
Bri Werner (Woodbine, Md. / Glenelg) took a pass from
Kayla Boven (Katy, Texas / Tompkins) and one-touched it to Barganski in the box. Barganski struck again in the 62nd minute, back-heeling in a low ball from
Hanna Khan (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) after
Malea Cesar (Portland, Ore. / Sunset) tapped an indirect free kick.
Elie Kriek (New Orleans, La. / The Willow School) then delivered set pieces for goals by center backs
Ilsa Newland (St. Louis, Mo. / Kirkwood) in the 74th minute and
Kylie Harris (Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point) a minute later. Trinity outshot Concordia 29-1.
The Tornadoes (7-8-2, 4-3-1 SCAC) earned the SCAC's automatic bid with a 1-0 win over St. Thomas in the conference championship, sending the program to its first NCAA Tournament.
Players to watch: Key contributors for the Tornadoes include sophomore forward Isabella Vassallo, who has three goals and five assists, senior midfielder Cecilia Escobar, who has three goals and three assists, and senior defender Karis Hickey, who has started all 17 games, anchoring the back line, and added an assist.
Looking Ahead
The Tigers are now fully in knockout territory. If they reach the round of 16, they will wait on the results of the other second-round matchups on their side of the bracket. Notable programs in Trinity's section include No. 1 and defending national champion Washington University in St. Louis, No. 19 Carleton College, No. 24 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and No. 24 California Lutheran University.
