Oct. 12, 2005

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Bemidji State University soccer team gathered attention in the NCAA Regional polls ranking ninth in the Central Region.

The poll, which is voted on by the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Committee, is the deciding factor for invitation to the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament. The top four ranked teams in each region are granted a berth in the tournament.

Head Coach Jim Stone’s club has posted a season record of 8-3-4 and 6-1-2 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. The Beavers are on pace to eclipse the school record of 11 wins which last season. The previous record for conference wins (3) set last season, was passed as this year’s team picked up their fourth win in just the fifth NSIC game.

The Beavers played just seven conference games last season, but will play 14 this year as the NSIC implemented double-round conference play. The double-round match setup gives each team a chance to play each other twice during the regular season, as opposed to once in the past.

BSU has lost just two games against Central Region opponents. Fourth-ranked Winona State and sixth-ranked North Dakota are the only teams in the region to up-end the Beavers.

The University of Nebraska-Omaha is ranked at the top, followed by Minnesota State-Mankato and South Dakota to round out the top three. UNO is unbeaten in the region thus far this season.

The only other NSIC school ranked in the regional top ten in Northern State University in the tenth spot.

The Beavers take on Northern State on Saturday and Minnesota State-Moorhead on Sunday with both games at home. This weekend’s games also mark the Parents’ Weekend festivities for the program. Each game is scheduled to kick-off at 1:00 pm.

--bsu--