Advancing Mocs to Face Embry-Riddle for NCAA Second Round

For the first time in program history, the Florida Southern College women's soccer team won a national postseason game with a 2-1 double overtime win against Mississippi College in the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship. The historic win for the Mocs sets up an NCAA South Region Semifinal against number one seed Embry-Riddle, in a battle for an Elite Eight journey.
 
Location: Daytona Beach, Fla. – Hosted by Embry-Riddle
Field: ERAU Soccer Stadium
Kick-off: Sunday, Nov. 13, 4:00 p.m.
Coverage: Live Stats - www.fscmocs.com/stats; Video – www.fscmocs.com/live; Tournament Central: https://erauathletics.com/sports/2022/11/7/2022-womens-soccer-national-tournament.aspx
Tickets: https://erautickets.universitytickets.com/w/
 
4^th Seed – The Moccasins – Roster | Schedule | Coaches | Statistics
Florida Southern won its 13^th game of the season with a double-overtime thriller against the Choctaws for the first round of the NCAA tournament. Lindsey Meyer put the Mocs on the board first with a laser shot to the net in the first half. Mississippi College answered before the end of the first half that set up a second-half and overtime battle for both teams. The Mocs dominated the shot-taking in the second half and into overtime, which led to the game-winner taken by freshman Alison Jenkins three minutes into the first overtime period. Keeper Jenny Staten saw her share of shots on goal by the Choctaws in a race to tie the game, but the defensive backline and a diving save by Staten secured the Florida Southern postseason victory.
 
Florida Southern advances to the second round of regionals with a 13-1-4 record, which was preceded by the Mocs' fourth NCAA appearance, and first in 12 years. As a team, the Moccasins have scored 45 goals this season, averaging 2.50 a game, good for top 20 among NCAA Division II programs in scoring offense and top 30 in total goals. Their opponents have only scored 12 goals through 18 games, a 0.67 average per game, on par for the lowest in school history, and 30^th in the NCAA. Other NCAA top 30 statistics include assists per game (2.0), points per game (7.0), total assists (36), total points (126), and win-loss-tie percentage.
 
1^st Seed – The Eagles - Roster | Schedule | Coaches | Statistics
Embry-Riddle, tournament hosts and number one seed in the NCAA south region, earned its way to the NCAA tournament after winning the Sunshine State Conference Championship with a 1-0 win over Florida Tech to secure the automatic SSC bid into the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles remain undefeated with an impressive 13-0-5 record awaiting their chance to play in the NCAA tournament against the Mocs with slight delays in the game schedule due to Hurricane Nicole. As a team, Embry-Riddle scores 1.67 goals a game, just 30 all year, but keeps its opponents to a 0.56 goal average.
 
Marie Myhrvold Seim made program history with her selection to the first team, becoming the first ERAU women's soccer player to earn first-team All-SSC honors three times. Myhrvold Seim led the Eagles with 23 points on nine goals, including two game-winners and five assists and currently ranks fourth in the league in goals and seventh in points. She was also named the SSC Offensive Player of the Week three times in 2022. Isabelle Navren is making her second appearance on the All-Conference first after garnering the honor in 2021. She tallied 13 points on the year, with four goals and five assists, which ranks second in the league. Hattie Kettle earned the Eagles' third All-Conference nod after taking home Freshman of the Year honors in 2021. Kettle led all ERAU field players with 1,430 minutes and helped anchor an Eagle defense that surrendered just nine goals and recorded five shutouts. Making her debut on the All-Conference roster was freshman Thea Nyberg who was named to the second team. Nyberg started in 15 of her 16 appearances this season and was second to Kettle in minutes played (1,283).

FSC in the NCAA Tournament
The Mocs have appeared in the NCAA Championships three times in their history. A three-year run from 2008-2010 saw the Mocs in the first round of the South Regional. In 2008, Florida Southern took SSC opponent Florida Tech to penalties, where the Panthers advanced in the NCAA's 4-2. The 2009 season, FSC played North Alabama, where the Mocs fell 3-2, before again facing Florida Tech in the South Regional in 2010, with the same penalty kick result.  
 
Florida Southern, with the win against the Choctaws in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament, improves its record to 1-1-2.
 
The Matchup – FSC vs Embry-Riddle
The South Regional matchup will be the first time that either team has faced the other in the NCAA tournament. Earlier this season, the Mocs tied the then No. 2 Eagles 1-1 in Daytona Beach in the best result against a top-two team in the nation in recent years. The former NAIA program has faced the Mocs just 13 times in its history, with Embry-Riddle a 5-4-4 advantage. Still undefeated on the road, Florida Southern has won just once in Daytona Beach and tied twice to the three loses.
 
Milestones Achieved
Florida Southern continues to shine this 2022 season, having already broken most conference wins in a season and the 13 wins on the season is second-best in school history, only behind the 2008 season when the Mocs went 14-4-2. FSC was awarded six All-SSC awards, including the program's first SSC Freshman of the Year with Angelina Coelho named to the honor. Coelho has been a key newcomer for the Mocs, netting six goals and an assist this season. Morgan Collica was named the SSC Defensive Player of the Year, the second such award for the Moccasins after a backline has led opponents to 0.67 goals a game. Head coach Paul Lawrence became the second FSC coach to be named Coach of the Year leading the Mocs to a regular season title, after being picked to finish last in the preseason coaches poll. First Team selections included Lindsey Meyer, Morgan Collica, and Caitlyn Lowery. Keeper Jenny Staten was named to the Second Team.
 
Staten has won two SSC Defensive Player of the Week awards, the first in school history for a goalie to win two SSC weekly awards in a single season, and the first since 2010 to win two POTW awards in a single season. She was named to the SSC All-Tournament team for her performance in the SSC semifinal against Florida Tech. Forward star Caitlyn Lowery was named SSC Offensive Player of the Week a few weeks ago with the game-winner against Barry that gave the Mocs the regular season title. Individual leaders for the Mocs include C. Lowery, who is 13th in the nation for game-winning goals (5), and top 50 in total points. A combined nine shutouts this year (six with keeper Jenny Staten), is the most in a single season in school history (the previous record was eight in 21 matches in the 2009 season). Staten moved into second all-time for FSC in career shutouts, with her career total of 16 thus far, behind 19 from Martina Tangen Billing (2008-11).
 
Other games around the region:
#3 West Florida vs #2 Nova Southeastern – 2:00 p.m. on Saturday
The winner of Embry-Riddle and Florida Southern will move on to the South Regional Championship to face the winner of West Florida and Nova Southeastern. The NCAA South Region final, the third-round of the NCAA tournament, will take place on November 17 or 18. The Elite Eight will take place with the winners of each region, with the NCAA Championship December 1-3 in Seattle, Washington.