INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (November 8, 2021)  – For the first time in program history, the Stevens Institute of Technology women's soccer team earned a 'Pool C' at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA Division III National Championship, the NCAA announced Monday.

Stevens will head to Middletown, Connecticut to take on a familiar foe in the first round, in former Empire 8 Conference rival, Ithaca College on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 1:30 p.m. The four-team regional will be hosted by No. 14 Wesleyan University.

"Always an honor to represent our university on the national stage and we are again very proud to do so," said head coach Jeff Parker. "This is the first time we've secured a Pool C berth and it's a testament to the resume that our student-athletes have fashioned this fall. Every matchup is going to take our best effort and we're looking forward to the challenge."

Stevens will be making its 13th all-time appearance in the national tournament, including each of the last six seasons. The Ducks posted a 9-6-4 record in 2021, reaching the MAC Freedom championship match. The 2021 schedule featured six matches with nationally-ranked opponents and featured a victory over then-No. 24 Western Connecticut, the only blemish on the Colonels' schedule and a scoreless draw with then-No. 7, and previously unblemished, Trinity Texas. 

Awaiting Stevens is Ithaca College. The Bombers, who also received an at-large berth, posted a 14-4 record, which included a 7-2 record in Liberty League play. Ithaca fell to No. 3 William Smith 3-2, in double overtime in the Liberty League championship. Stevens and Ithaca met annually when both programs were in the Empire 8, taking to the pitch 15 times between 2007 and 2016. Over the course of those meetings, the Ducks are 6-8-1 against their former conference rival, but are 4-0-1 over the last five meetings. 

Wesleyan will meet Penn State-Behrend in the other regional semifinal, kicking off at 11 a.m. It is believed that Stevens has never faced either potential opponent.

Forty-four teams automatically qualified, while 20 other teams earned a berth through Pool C, which included teams that represent independent institutions or that weren't their respective conferences' automatic qualifier.

Links for live stats and video for the Ducks' match against Ithaca are available on StevensDucks.com.

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