NCCAA Women's Soccer National Tournament

BETHANY, Okla. — The bracket is out and Southern Nazarene takes the No. 5 seed in the NCCAA Women's Soccer National Championship.
 
The Crimson Storm will play fourth-seeded Houghton (N.Y.), an NCAA Division III transition affiliate from the NAIA, who picked up the automatic bid by defeating Nyack (N.Y.) in the East Region final. The two will play the final game of the opening night, Nov. 28, at 7:30 p.m. (EST).
 
THE STORM ROLLING IN
Southern Nazarene comes in to the NCCAA National Tournament with an 11-7-1 overall record and picked up the automatic bid by winning the Central Region Tournament. The Crimson Storm trounced Mid-America Christian 5-1 before shutting out Oklahoma Wesleyan, 3-0 in the championship game. SNU fished second in the Great American Conference behind No. 12 Southwestern Oklahoma State.
 
Sherri Collins leads all scorers for SNU as the All-GAC first team selection has scored 10 goals this season. Four of those goals came in the regional tournament, including a hat trick against Mid-America Christian. Collins also is tied for the team lead in assists with five.
 
SNU had seven total, and an honorable mention, named to the All-GAC teams. Bekah Stewart was the other first team choice for the Storm as the sophomore scored six goals and had five assists on the year.
 
THE OPPONENT
Houghton comes in at 13-6 overall and has won seven straight. The Highlanders finished 6-2 in the Empire 8 conference that would have left them second. Houghton is led by Stephany Ellison and Jen Bowman who are tied for the team lead with 14 goals apiece. Ellison has 10 assists and Bowman has seven.
 
THE BRACKET
Top-seeded Judson, who picked up the at-large bid, and eighth-seeded Trevecca Nazarene, who won the Mideast Region, are on the same side of the bracket. SNU already has a 3-1 win over Trevecca earlier this year. SNU will play either one Thursday, at 2:30 or 7:30 p.m.
 
California Baptist takes the No. 2 seed after winning the West Region and will play seventh-seeded Palm Beach Atlantic who won the South Region. Grace College (Ind.) is the No. 3 seed out of the Midwest Region and will play sixth-seeded Trinity Christian (Ill.)
 
CBU is the defending NCCAA National Champion and won its second straight Pac West title.