James Madison, UNCW Selected to NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
RICHMOND, Va. (November 12, 2018) – For the ninth time in the last 11 seasons, multiple teams will represent the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship. Champions of the CAA, James Madison will meet High Point in the tournament’s first round, while UNCW earned an at-large selection to the championship and will host Furman in the first round. Both matches will be on Thursday, Nov. 15.
After earning the CAA Championship in penalty kicks on Sunday, James Madison (12-4-3) is making its 13
th appearance in the NCAA Championship. The Dukes hold a 4-12-1 all-time record and are making the program’s first NCAA berth since 2014, having reached the Elite Eight of the championship in 1994 and 1995.
The Dukes have turned in 11 clean sheets on the year, allowing just 10 goals across 19 matches as goalkeeper TJ Bush has set the JMU single-season record for shutouts. James Madison ranks second in the CAA, scoring 1.63 goals per game; Manuel Ferriol and Carson Jeffris lead the Dukes’ offense, each sitting on 17 points this season. Ferriol collected Most Outstanding Player honors at the CAA Championship.
The James Madison-High Point winner will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., to take on No. 5 national seed North Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 18.
UNCW (12-5-2) is returning to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year and fourth time since 2009. The Seahawks are 2-3-1 in the championship, having reached the second round in all three previous appearances – 2009, 2014 and 2017.
The Seahawks boast one of the nation’s top offenses, paced by Phillip Goodrum and Emil Elveroth. After scoring 12 goals in the regular season, Goodrum was voted the CAA’s Player of the Year, contributing 28 points to Elveroth’s 27 (11g, 5a). Defensively, UNCW has recorded nine shutouts, enjoying a plus-24 goal differential on the year.
Hosting a first round match for the second straight year, UNCW will host Furman, with the winner traveling to Charlottesville, Va., to meet No. 10 national seed Virginia on Sunday, Nov. 18.
The 2018 DI men's soccer tournament kicks off the weekend on Thursday, Nov. 15, with second round matches on Sunday, Nov. 18. The third round will take place on Nov. 24-25, with the four national semifinalists will be determined in the quarterfinals on Nov. 30-Dec. 1.
The Men's College Cup will then be hosted at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif., with the two semifinal matches on Friday, Dec. 7 and the national championship set for Sunday, Dec. 9. All three games will be televised on ESPNU.