INDIANAPOLIS – Emmanuel women's soccer returns to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season and will make the two-mile trip from campus, across the Boston University Bridge into Cambridge, to face the No. 8 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers in the First Round of the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament, as announced by the NCAA Office on Monday morning.
Unlike last season where the Saints waited to be called as the 62nd team in the bracket, Emmanuel found out their opponent in the opening minutes of the announcement, as MIT was named the second of 16 host sites for the opening weekend.
Joining the Saints and Engineers in the pod, hosted by MIT, are Colby College and Montclair State University. The first two rounds of the tournament are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15, and Sunday, Nov. 16. Emmanuel and Colby played each other to a 2-2 draw in mid-September at Clemente Field.
For a second straight season, the NCAA Power Index (NPI) was featured prominently in the selection process for the 64-team tournament. For the weekend, MIT enters play ranked 18th, Colby comes in at 24th, Montclair State sits in 40th, and the Saints round out the group, ranking 65th in the NPI.
The Engineers head into tournament play at 20-2-1 on the season and are unbeaten in their last 13 matches, holding a 12-0-1 mark over that stretch. MIT claimed the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship for the 10th time in team history, winning their third straight conference title in a 3-0 win over Springfield.
Colby scored an at-large selection to the tournament after a 10-4-3 season and a loss in the semifinals of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) to Tufts. Montclair State comes into the weekend as one of three unbeaten teams in 2025, holding a 13-0-6 record. The Red Hawks earned the automatic bid out of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) with a win in PK's over No. 11 Rowan University.
Similar to last season, Emmanuel ranks inside the top 10 in numerous offensive categories. The Saints are third in NCAA Division III in total goals (89) and fifth in goals per game (4.24). In addition, they are fifth in total points (229) and seventh in points per game (10.9).
MIT is there to match the challenge, as it too ranks inside the top 10 in many of the same categories. The Engineers are seventh in total goals (78) and eighth in total points (210). Due to its 23-game schedule taking them outside the top 10, MIT ranks 17th in goals per game (3.39) and points per game (9.13).
All First and Second Round games will be streamed live on NCAA.com. The winners of Saturday's matches will play on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. for a spot in the final 16 teams.
