ST. AUGUSTINE – Flagler College received one of the five at-large berths to the NCAA Division II National Tournament this evening and will play a first round match against Catawba College on Friday at noon at the Walden Soccer Complex at Columbus, Georgia.

The winner of that match will take on the winner of the Francis Marion University-Columbus State University match in the second round on Nov. 24 at 3 p.m.

Flagler (8-3-6), the Peach Belt Conference Tournament runners-up, received the No. 5 seed. The Saints are making their seventh NCAA postseason tournament appearance in a row. Flagler owns a 5-0-1 record all-time against Catawba. The last time these two teams met was Nov. 12, 2022 when they played to a 1-1 double-overtime draw, which was in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Saints advanced by winning the shootout, 5-4.

The Saints are led by four-time PBC Offensive Player of the Year and four-time Select Sport Gold Ball winner Andrea Fernandez. She leads the nation in goals with 22 and points with 57. Fernandez is third in assists with 13. Cisel Akguel earned PBC Freshman of the Year honors with 10 goals, six assists, and 26 points. Paige Churchill and Samantha St. Pierre both earned their second all-conference nod. Churchill has nine goals and eight assists while St. Pierre has four goals and 10 assists. St. Pierre is ninth in the nation in assists. Barry University transfer Grace Simon earned all-conference accolades. She anchored a defense that posted four shutouts and has logged a team-best 1,550 minutes this season.

Catawba (10-2-5) finished in a tie for second place in the South Atlantic Conference and were upset in the quarterfinal round of the league tournament. The Catawba Indians placed seven players on the all-conference teams, including four on the first team. Bree Ehmer leads the team with 25 points as she has scored 11 goals and tallied three assists. Maria Rayburn has three assists, which earned her first team honors. A pair of defenders rounded out the first team honorees – Alexah Fite and Kelly Havens. Fite has scored a goal and tallied two assists while Havens has scored four goals. Catawba's defense has posted nine shutouts this year.  
  
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