The two teams will play in the first-round of the NAIA National Tournament on Saturday, November 22nd, with the winner advancing to California as the final 16 teams battle it out for the national championship. Fresno Pacific University, in Fresno, California, is the host site for the 50th NAIA National Tournament.
"It is good to get in the tournament and find out who we are playing," says head coach Steve Burke. "We knew we would be a low seed and have to play a great team. They (Notre Dame) are in the top 10 and we have to go to their place, now, and play on their turf field. We have a whole new group of players that will get to experience the post season. Our immediate goal now is to make it to California. We have been the underdogs before."
Judson will be making their sixth overall appearance in the NAIA National Tournament and their fifth straight. Only four other programs have been to the NAIA National Tournament in consecutive years than Judson. Lindsey Wilson has made it to 15 straight tournaments followed by Rio Grande (OH) at eight straight and Park University and Southern Nazarene in six straight. Judson is currently 15-5 and on a five match winning streak. They have won 11 out of their last 13 matches.
This will only be the third meeting between the two programs with Judson holding a 2-0 advantage. The two teams met in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Judson won in 2005, 2-1, and then shut out Notre Dame in 2006, 4-0.
Notre Dame is currently 18-2 and won the American Mideast Conference championship by defeating #7 Mt. Vernon Nazarene, 2-1. Mt. Vernon Nazarene also qualified for the NAIA National Tournament and is the 14th seed. One of Notre Dame's losses came to St. Ambrose, 1-0, on a wet, soggy day at Dawson Field in the Judson University Tournament back on September 12th. Notre Dame College is on an eight match winning streak with their last loss coming to NCAA Division II Ashland University, 2-1, on October eighth.
Notre Dame College is in South Euclid, Ohio, and is just east of Cleveland, Ohio. Notre Dame College is a Catholic institution in the tradition of the sisters of Notre Dame. They are in a suburban neighborhood just outside of Cleveland and were established in 1922. In 2001, the college added several varsity athletics and admitted the first men to the school.
The time has yet to be determined for the game between Judson and Notre Dame College. The winner of the match will advance to California to face the winner between Maine-Ft. Kent and Northwood (FL). Maine-Ft. Kent is #8 in the nation and seed 10th in the tournament while Northwood is #18 in the nation.
