Red-Hot St. Ambrose Favored In CCAC Women's Soccer Tournament
CHICAGO --- Regular-season champion St. Ambrose University will be the team to beat when the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Tournament begins play on Friday and ends with the championship match one week later. The Fighting Bees (12-4) come into the eight-team tournament riding a nine-game winning streak and having outscored their conference foes 40-7 during the regular season.
SAU's only setback in the league – and its last loss – came at the hands of Olivet Nazarene University back on Sept. 19. The Tigers (9-3-4) come in as the No. 3 seed in the tournament field and very much a team to keep an eye on over the next week.
ONU's defense has been stellar this year, permitting a conference-low four goals during the 11-match season. The Tigers' only loss in league play was against Trinity Christian (1-0) just last week. They also tied No. 4 seed University of St. Francis and No. 6 Judson University by identical 1-1 counts.
Trinity Christian matched Olivet Nazarene's 8-1-2 record in CCAC play and gained the No. 2 seed in the tournament by virtue of defeating the Tigers. The Trolls (12-3-3) were dealt their only league loss by St. Ambrose (1-0 on Oct. 14), while tying both No. 7 seed Viterbo University (2-2) and No. 5 seed Saint Xavier University (1-1).
St. Ambrose, Trinity Christian and Olivet Nazarene will all host opening-round contests on Friday as will St. Francis (6-6-5) as the No. 4 seed. The matchups have No. 8 seed Roosevelt (6-9) going to Davenport, Iowa to face St. Ambrose, Viterbo heading to Trinity Christian, Olivet Nazarene hosting Judson (6-6-4) and St. Francis doing the same versus Saint Xavier.
Semifinal-round action takes place next Tuesday (Nov. 7) with the top remaining seeds serving as the hosts. The championship match follows next Friday.
By virtue of winning the regular-season title, St. Ambrose warrants one of the conference's two automatic bids to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round. Should the Fighting Bees also capture the CCAC Tournament, Trinity Christian would gain the league's second automatic bid to the NAIA by finishing tied for second during the regular season and earning the No. 2 seed in the tournament.
For a tournament bracket, go to Bracket.
The complete tournament schedule follows:
Friday, November 3 - First Round
• Match #1: No. 8 Roosevelt (6-9) at No. 1 St. Ambrose (12-4) --- 6 pm CT
• Match #2: No. 5 Saint Xavier (7-3-5) at No.4 St. Francis (6-6-5) --- 6 pm CT
• Match #3: No. 7 Viterbo (7-5-5) at No. 2 Trinity Christian (12-3-3) --- 1 pm CT
• Match #4: No. 6 Judson (6-6-4) at No. 3 Olivet Nazarene (9-3-4) --- 4 pm CT
Tuesday, November 7 - Semifinal Round
• Match #5: Winner-Match #1 vs. Winner-Match #2 --- TBA (at site of highest remaining seed)
• Match #6: Winner-Match #3 vs. Winner-Match #4 --- TBA (at site of highest remaining seed)
Friday, November 10 – Championship
• Match #7: Winner-Match #5 vs. Winner-Match #6 --- TBA (at site of highest remaining seed)