La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is set to host the 2017 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III First/Second Round Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12 at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex.

UW-La Crosse (17-1-3) faces The College of St. Scholastica, Minn. (13-6-3) Saturday, November 11 at 11 a.m. while the University of St. Thomas, Minn. (12-3-3) faces Wartburg College, Iowa (10-5-4) at 1:30 p.m.  First round winners will play in the NCAA Division III Second Round Sunday, November 12 at 1 p.m.

UW-La Crosse (Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) and The College of St. Scholastica, Minn. (Upper Midwest Athletic Conference) secured automatic bids while the University of St. Thomas, Minn. (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) and Wartburg College, Iowa (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) earned at-large bids to this year's championships.

UW-La Crosse finished in a 2-2 double overtime tie with St. Thomas (Minn.) September 3 and earned a 2-0 victory over Wartburg (Iowa) September 20. St. Thomas (Minn.) earned a 4-0 victory over St. Scholastica (Minn.) September 10 and a 2-1 victory over Wartburg (Iowa) September 27. 

UW-La Crosse enters the NCAA III Championships with a 17-1-3 record, winning the WIAC Championship with a 4-3 shootout victory over UW-Whitewater November 4. It was the team's second tournament title in school history (1996). The Eagles earned their third regular-season WIAC title (1996, 2015, 2017) in school history with a 7-0 league mark, finishing undefeated in conference play for the first time in school history. Winners of a school record 12 straight games in 2017, UW-La Crosse's 17 overall victories this year is also a single-season school record. UW-La Crosse is making its second appearance in school history in the NCAA III Championships, falling 3-0 to Pomona-Pitzer College (Calif.) in the first round of the 2015 national tournament. UW-La Crosse is 12-0-1 in its last 13 games.

Freshman forward Kaitlyn Villars leads UW-La Crosse in goals (13) and points (32) this season while ranking second in assists (6). Junior midfielder Margaret Harings and senior forward Maddie Granos are tied for second in goals (10) with Harings leading the team in assists (8) and ranking second in points (28). Granos is third in points (24). Harings was voted the 2017 WIAC Offensive Player of the Year while junior midfielder Maya Schmitt was selected the 2017 WIAC Defensive Player of the Year. 

Freshman goalkeeper Lily Brock is 11-1-1 on the season with a 0.38 goals against average. She has recorded 6.5 shutouts. 

Fourth-year head coach Jason Murphy and assistant coaches Nicole Lukic, Joe Czerniak and Mike Jacobs earned the 2017 WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award.  

St. Scholastica (Minn.) is making its ninth NCAA Division III Championship appearance and first since 2007. The Saints captured the UMAC title with a 2-1 victory over the University of Northwestern (Minn.) in the tournament championship game. It was the team's 13th league tournament championship in school history. St. Scholastica (Minn.) has lost by one goal in each of its last three national tournament appearances, including two in overtime. 

Sophomore forward Becca Rancour leads the team in goals (22) and points (54). Junior midfielder Rachel Dixon has scored at least one goal in each of the last five games and was named the UMAC Tournament MVP. Goalkeeper Roni Rudolph has recorded three shutouts in her last four appearances.

Dave Reyelts is in his 18th season as head coach at St. Scholastica (Minn.).

St. Thomas (Minn.) received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championships, its 11th appearance in school history. The Tommies' last NCAA Championship win came in 2002 with a 3-0 victory over UW-Stevens Point. St. Thomas (Minn.), currently on a six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2), lost 4-2 in a shootout to Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) in the MIAC Tournament Semifinals November 1.

Junior forward Mallory DeBoom leads St. Thomas (Minn.) in goals (11) and points (25) this season while senior forward Brielle Bierman is second in goals (4) and points (13). DeBoom has scored 28 goals with 15 assists in 58 career games while recording 15 game-winning goals. St. Thomas (Minn.) is 32-0-4 in games when DeBoom scores a goal or records an assist. Bierman leads the team in assists (5). The Tommies are 60-0-1 in their last 61 games when it scores two or more goals with the 2-2 tie with UWL earlier this season the lone non-victory.

Sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Elvidge is 4-2-2 on the season with a 0.67 goals against average while freshman goalkeeper Katie Lynn is 7-1 with a 0.23 goals against average. 

Sheila McGill is in her 12th season as head coach.

Wartburg (Iowa) also earned an at-large bid to this year's national championships, its sixth appearance in school history and first since 2015. The Knights fell 3-1 to 19th-ranked Loras College (Iowa) in the IIAC Tournament Semifinals November 1. Wartburg (Iowa) advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 shootout win over Coe College (Iowa) in the opening round of the tournament October 28. 

Senior midfielder Morgan Neuendorf leads the Knights in goals (13), assists (5) and points (31). Junior forward Nicole Adair is second in goals (6) and points (13). 

Senior goalkeeper Beth Crow is 10-3-4 with a 1.01 goals against average. 

Tiffany Pins is in her seventh season as head coach.

Tickets are $8.00 per adult and $6.00 per senior/student/youth for each day.  Tickets must be purchased at the ticket window Saturday and Sunday. Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex will open 90 minutes prior to the start of the first game. Advanced ticket sales are not available.

NCAA Division III First/Second Round Schedule:

Saturday, November 11, 2017 - First Round
Game #1 - The College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) vs. UW-La Crosse - 11 a.m.
Game #2 - University of St. Thomas (Minn.) vs. Wartburg College (Iowa) - 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 12, 2017 - Second Round
Game #3 - Winners of first round games - 1 p.m.

The NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Committee announced the field of 64 teams for the 2017 Division III Women's Soccer Championship on Monday, November 6.

Forty-three conferences were awarded automatic qualification for the 2017 championship. One team was selected from Pool B, which consists of independent institutions, as well as members of conferences that do not meet the requirements for automatic qualification. The final 20 berths were reserved for Pool C, which includes institutions from automatic-qualifying conferences that did not win their conference championship and any remaining Pool B teams.

Interactive bracket | Printable bracket

Sixteen four-team sites will conduct first- and second-round play on the first weekend of the championship, November 10 and 11 or 11 and 12. Second-round winners will advance to one of four sectional sites November 17 and 18 or 18 and 19. All games, except the semifinals and final, will be played on the campuses of competing institutions. Winners of the four sectionals will advance to the semifinals December 1 and 2, at UNCG Soccer Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina, with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Greensboro Sports Commission serving as hosts.

In last year's final, Washington University in St. Louis defeated Messiah College in penalty kicks to win the championship after a 1-1 tie following regulation and both overtime periods.