WARRENSBURG – After earning an at-large bid as the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Central Regional Quarterfinals, SWOSU Soccer is set to face off against top-seeded Central Missouri on Thursday at their home site.
 
The Bulldog's at-large bid was earned with 13-6-1 season that saw them claim the Great American Conference regular season championship thanks to a 10-1-1 record in league play. It was the fifth time SWOSU has been crowned the GAC regular season champion.
 
In the conference tournament, SWOSU defeated Ouachita 2-0 before falling to Oklahoma Baptist 1-0 in the championship match. OBU is also in the NCAA Tournament thanks to that victory, as the Bison earned the conference's automatic qualifier by winning the tournament. This is the first time in GAC history that two schools are being represented in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Central Missouri hosts the first two rounds of the NCAA Regional after finishing 17-3-1 and runner-up in the MIAA Tournament. The Jennies are making their 11^th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 14^th overall. UCM was national champion in 2017 and are currently ranked No. 11 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
 
The Bulldogs enter the contest as the top defending team from the GAC, allowing just under a goal per game on the season at .95 per game. In contrast, UCM ranks 11^th in the NCAA in scoring – having netted 57 goals in 21 games. (2.71 per game) 2021 Great American Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Nicole Petrino, and First Team All-GAC Defender, Elizabeth Moreno, will look to anchor the defense against the Jennies.
 
On offense, SWOSU ranked second in the conference averaging 2.25 goals on the year. The Bulldogs are led by a pair of First Team All-GAC Forwards, Brianna Benitez and Brenna McGuirk. Benitez scored a team-high 12 goals on the season and added five assists. Those 12 scores rank third in the GAC, while five assists tie her for second. McGuirk currently has five goals and four assists. UCM allows 1.24 goals per game on the season.
 
All three of SWOSU's previous NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances have been ended by Central Missouri, who defeated the Bulldogs 3-0 in 2012 and 2017, and 4-1 in 2019. All three of those losses came in Warrensburg, Missouri.
 
Kickoff of the regional quarterfinal is set for 1:00 pm on Friday at the South Rec Complex, following the first quarterfinal which features (4) Minnesota State against (5) Oklahoma Baptist. For full match coverage, visit SWOSUAthletics.com.