Emory University will play host to the first two rounds of the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championships on Saturday, November 16^th and Sunday, November 17^th, as the eighth-ranked Eagles will welcome Piedmont College, 11^th-ranked Lynchburg College and Centre College to the Woodruff Physical Education Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

Schedule
There will be two first round matches on Saturday, with Emory playing Piedmont at 11:00 AM and Lynchburg taking on Centre at 1:30 PM.  The winners of the two matches on Saturday will face in other on Sunday at 1:30 PM, for the right to advance to the round of 16 the following weekend.

Tickets
Fans wishing to attend any of the three games this weekend will need to purchase tickets at the site of competition.  Ticket prices will be $6 for general admission, $3 with a student ID or for senior citizens, $2 for children ages 3-12, and free for children two years of age and under. 

Coverage
For complete visitor information, directions, game results and other details for the action this weekend, please visit the official tournament website at http://emoryathletics.com/sports/wsoc/2013-14/NCAA/index.  There will be live video and live statistics for all three of the games during the weekend.  Fans can access the live video at http://emoryathletics.com/sports/wsoc/live, while the live statistics are available at http://www.go.emory.edu/LiveStats/WSocc/XLIVE.htm.  

Emory Eagles
This is Emory's 15^th NCAA Tournament berth and its fourth-straight year qualifying for the NCAA Championships, matching the longest streak in the program's history, also achieved from 1995-98.  The squad received entry to the tournament via a 'Pool C' at-large bid, after finishing second in the University Athletic Association (UAA).  The Eagles have reached as far as the NCAA Championship game last season, and have made the round of 16 nine times, including each of the previous three seasons.  Emory is 14-12-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament games, including an 11-6-2 mark under current Head Coach Sue Patberg.

The Eagles will enter the weekend as one of the hottest teams in the country, winning 12 of the last 13 games and a season-best seven-straight games, improving to 14-3-1 overall this season and a 7-1-0 mark at home in 2013.  Emory was ranked eighth in the latest NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA D-III Women's Soccer National Poll and 10^th in the D3Soccer.com poll, in addition to checking in at first in the South Atlantic Region.  The team has outscored its opponents 40-9 this season, and rank 23^rd among Division III teams with a 0.488 team goals against average and 99^th with 2.22 goals per game.

Leading the way for the Eagles offensively has been junior Karina Rodriguez, who has scored six goals and assisted on five other during the year for 17 points.  Sophomore Jordan Morell, senior captain Kelly Costopoulos and freshman Cristina Ramirez have each added on five goals for Emory during the campaign.  Defensively, the team has been led by reigning D3Soccer.com Defender of the Year Lauren Gorodetsky, who, along with fellow backs Lauren Drosick, Ally Peterson, Hannah Meyer, Kaelyn Lucas and Caitlin Clark, has helped Emory outshoot opposing teams 421-145 this season, including a 197-55 edge in shots on goal.  Sophomore goalkeeper Liz Arnold has a 13-2-1 record with six individual shutouts this season, ranking 10^th among D-III players with a 0.411 goals-against average and 38^th with .860 save percentage.

Emory is led by ninth-year Head Coach Sue Patberg, who has guided the Eagles to an NCAA Tournament berth on seven different occasions, reaching the round of 16 three times and the quarterfinals twice, culminating with last season's runner-up finish.  Patberg has a record of 124-27-26 at Emory, good for a .773 winning percentage, and a career ledger of 270-115-44, which includes head coaching stints at Georgia and Minnesota.  She is assisted by Associate Coach Rachel Moreland, now in her sixth season at Emory, and third-year Goalkeeper Coach Mike Wentzler.

Piedmont Lions
Piedmont is making its second NCAA Championship appearance all-time, and its first since the 2011 campaign when the squad was eliminated by Emory in the first round.  The Lions earned entry to the tournament via an automatic bid, after winning their first the USA South Championship in just their second year in the league.

The Lions finished their regular season with an overall record of 17-2-2, including a 5-2-1 mark in road games.  Piedmont will enter the weekend ranked 32^nd among Division III teams with a 0.597 team goals-against average and 78^th with 2.43 goals per game, as the squad has outscored its opponents 51-13 this season.

Piedmont's offense is led by senior Laura Goodwin, who ranks 52^nd in Division III with 16 goals and 51^st with 39 points.  Freshman Megan Hatfield has contributed with seven goals and two assists for 16 points this season.  Defensively, senior goalkeeper Marjorie Hammond has started 19 games, is ranked 29^th in Division III with a 0.564 goals-against average and 68^th with a .845 save percentage.

Piedmont is led by Head Coach Stephen Andrew, who has a ledger of 91-41-5 during his seven years as a head coach, including an 87-28-4 mark during his six years with the Lions.  Andrew is assisted by Timmy McCormack and Stephanie Kirvan.

Emory is 6-0-0 all-time against the Lions, although the two teams have faced each other just once since the 2004 campaign.  The last meeting between the Eagles and the Lions was also an NCAA Tournament First Round match, with the Emory claiming a 3-0 win at the Woodruff Physical Education Center.  In the 2011 matchup, Emory and Piedmont were tied after a scoreless first half, but the Eagles scored three in the second frame to go on to win, outshooting the Lions 31-1 in the process, including a 16-0 edge in shots on goal.  Costopoulos and current senior Clare Mullins each had a pair of assists in the game.

Lynchburg Hornets
Lynchburg won its fourth-consecutive Old Dominion Athletic Conference title this season to earn its seventh-consecutive NCAA Tournament bid and its 14^th appearance overall.  Included in the program's postseason resume are trips to the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2001 and 2007, and a Semifinals appearance in 2009.

The Hornets' record has been unblemished this season, other than a loss to Emory in Atlanta earlier in the season, as the squad stands at 21-1-0 overall for the campaign, including a 7-1-0 mark in road games.  The team is ranked 11^th in the NSCAA poll, seventh in the D3Soccer.com poll, and third in the South Atlantic Region rankings.  Lynchburg has outscored its opposition by a 107-10 margin this year, and currently rank second among all NCAA Division III teams with 4.86 goals per game and 17^th with a 0.453 goals-against average.

Three players on the Hornets' roster have registered double-digit goals this season, including junior Dessi Dupuy (21 goals, six assists), senior Angela Bosco (14 goals and six assists) and sophomore Morgan Singer (15 goals and two assists).  The team's defense is paced by all-American Rachel Sadowski and goalkeepers Karsen Schottleutner (0.63 GAA, .727 save %) and Tess Frelick (0.20 GAA, .900 save %).

Head Coach Dr. Todd Olsen has spent his entire 20-year career at Lynchburg, going 336-81-39 with the Hornets.  He is assisted by Tony Dulak, Brittany Klippstein, Alicia LaPorta and Shelley Hoath.

Emory is 7-5-3 all-time against Lynchburg, including wins in each of the last four meetings between the two teams and a 4-1-1 mark in games at the Woodruff P.E. Center.  The two teams met earlier this season at the WoodPEC, with the Eagles claiming a 3-1 win behind a pair of goals from Costopoulos and a third from senior Veronica Romero, as the Eagles outshot the Hornets 17-10 in the game.

Emory and Lynchburg have formed one of the more competitive rivalries in the region over the past few years, with nine of the previous meetings going into overtime.  This is the fourth NCAA Tournament meeting all-time between the two teams, with Emory going 1-3 in such meetings, and the home team winning each contest.  The last NCAA Championship meeting between the teams took place in Atlanta in 2010, with the Eagles winning 1-0 in the second overtime period.

Centre Colonels
Centre qualified for the NCAA Championships for the third-straight season and fourth time overall, earning entry via a Pool 'B' at-large bid, after winning the Southern Athletic Association Championship (the conference champion in the SAA does not receive an automatic bid).  Centre is 2-3-0 all-time in NCAA matches, reaching as far as the second round each of the last two seasons.

The Colonels will enter the match as winners of six-straight games and unbeaten in their last 11, as the team has not suffered a loss since falling to Emory at the Woodruff P.E. Center on September 29^th.  Centre stands at 16-4-2 overall this season, including a 6-2-0 mark in road games.  The team received votes in the latest NSCAA National poll and was third in the Great Lakes Region rankings.  Centre outscored its opposition 36-12 this season, and is ranked 22^nd in Division III with a 0.486 goals-against average and 211^th with 1.64 goals per game.

Centre's leading scorer this season is senior Morgan Collins, who has registered five goals and three assists for 13 points, while junior Anne Mitchell has chipped in with three goals and four assists for 10 points.  The team's defense, which has been its strength over the past few seasons, has allowed the squad to outshoot its opponents 421-150 this season, including a 204-79 advantage in shots on goal.  Freshman goalkeepers Holly Hinton (0.58 GAA, .880 save %) and Olivia Alford (0.39 GAA, .840 save %) have split time in the net for the Colonels this year.

Centre is coached by Jay Hoffman, who has spent his entire 10-year career as a head coach with the Colonels, where he has recorded a mark of 126-52-15.  He is assisted by Jessica Chisley.

Emory is 3-0-1 all-time against Centre, with three of the four matches taking place in the last three years, and two during NCAA Tournament play.  Earlier this season, Emory defeated Centre 3-1 at the WoodPEC, outshooting the Colonels 37-5 en route to the win.  Rodriguez finished the game with a goal and two assists, while Morell and junior Meredith Doherty added scores for the Eagles as well.  Emory is 1-0-1 all-time against Centre at home, and 2-0-0 against the Colonels in tournament matches.

Emory Notes
Kelly Costopoulos and junior Emily Feldman are tied for the Eagles' all-time lead with four career NCAA Tournament goals… Junior Charlotte Butker, Veronica Romero and Lauren Gorodetsky each have scored NCAA Tournament goals during their careers as well… Clare Mullins is Emory's all-time leader with four assists in NCAA Tournament games over her career, including a program-best two assists on game-winning goals… The Eagles are 8-2-1 all-time in NCAA Championship games played at the WoodPEC, and have not lost a home NCAA Tournament game since the 2005 campaign… The team's five-straight shutouts are the most by the squad since the 2011 season… The program record for consecutive shutouts is seven games, set on numerous occasions… Emory has not allowed a goal in the last 528 minutes and 11 seconds of game play… Lauren Gorodetsky was named the UAA Athlete of the Week last week, after scoring a goal and assisting on another during the team's 3-0 win over Carnegie Mellon… Costopoulos and Mullins each set a new school record by appearing in their 82^nd career games last Saturday… Mullins is also the program's record holder with 82 career starts… Emory is 3-2-0 against top-25 opponents this season, and 13-5-10 over the last four seasons.