ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western soccer team will make its first-ever NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championship appearance later this week when the team travels to Mankato, Minnesota to take on Southwestern Oklahoma State.

The Griffons, who are 17-4 this season, earned the No. 3 seed in the central region and will play No. 6-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. on Friday.

Southwestern Oklahoma enters the regional tournament with a 12-3-4 record after winning the Great American Conference postseason championship with a 3-2 win over GAC regular season champion Oklahoma Baptist.

Missouri Western is in the midst of the best season in program history, winning more games and scoring more goals than any previous Missouri Western soccer team. Overall, more than 30 team, individual and career records were broken as the Griffons advanced to the MIAA Championship finals this past Sunday.

Minnesota State claimed the No. 2 seed in the region and will host half of the regional tournament. The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season and postseason champion Mavericks will await the winner of Friday’s game for a regional semifinal on Sunday, Nov. 12.

Central Missouri claimed the top seed in the region and will host the other half of the bracket, awaiting the winner of Friday’s No. 4 Augustana against No. 5 Bemidji State game.

Click here for NCAA Release & Bracket.

— MWSU Athletics —