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Tournament Central

Belhaven Women's Soccer steps onto the national stage for the first time this weekend, opening the NCAA Tournament at one of the top teams in the country, No. 2 ranked Emory University this Saturday at noon.

The Blazers enter at 14-4-3 and fresh off their first CCS Championship, while Emory arrives with a 16-1-1 record and one of the nation's best statistical profiles.

Belhaven Season Review

The Blazers earned their bid behind a balanced attack and one of the most efficient defenses in the CCS. Belhaven averages 3.05 goals per match, while allowing only 0.71. The team has outscored opponents 64-15 this season and enters the postseason having won nine of its last eleven matches. Belhaven's 14 wins this season are the most since 2001, when the team advanced to the NAIA Quarterfinals with an 18-2-1 record.

Top Performers

Emma Antonoplos, Senior, Midfielder
Antonoplos (Jacksonville, FL.) was named CCS Offensive Player of the Year this season with 13 goals, three assists and 29 points. She leads the team in scoring and has a team-high 62 shots. The Blazers have outscored opponents 33-0 this season in matches when Antonoplos has scored.

Lauren Snell, Senior Midfielder
Snell (Ballwin, Mo.) was named to the All-CCS First team this season with eight goals, six assists and 22 points. She enters the NCAA Tournament recording at least one point in eight of her last ten matches, the most in a ten-match stretch in her career.

Reagan Nichols, Lillian Harvey, Jennifer Neal, Senior Defensive Backs
Nichols (Sugar Land, TX.), Harvey (Greenwood, Miss.) and Neal (Pearl, Miss.) have combined for 60 starts in the back-line this season, anchoring a unit that has allowed just 0.71 goals per match this season.

Addi Roberts, Junior Goalkeeper
Roberts (Florence, Miss.) has had a standout season in her first season between the posts for the Blazers, notching a 10-4-2 record, 0.99 GAA, a .767 save percentage and four solo shutouts.

As a unit, Belhaven has recorded 13 shutouts, allowing just 5.8 shots per match.  

Emory Season Review

Emory enters the NCAA Tournament as one of the strongest teams in Division III this season. The Eagles own a 16-1-1 record and have allowed only six goals in 18 matches, backed by an elite defensive group and a possession-heavy attack. They average 21.7 shots per match and hold opponents to only 7.8.  

Top Performers
Kaitlyn Nimmer - Nine goals, nine assists for 27 points. She leads Emory in both points and shots (85).
Mikayla Camp - Eight goals on 40 shots with three game-winners.
Madison Teng - FIve goals, five assists, another focal point with 20 shots on goal.
Sophia Garcia - 16-1-1, 0.32 GAA, .898 save percentage, and 10 shutouts.

Emory's defense has held opponents to 0.33 goals per match, allowed only 55 shots on goal, and produced 87 corner kicks across the season.  

Key Match Factors

1. Battle of High-Level Defenses

Both teams defend at a championship-level. Belhaven has allowed only 15 goals in 21 matches, while Emory has conceded just 6 in 18. Clean chances will be hard to come by, and the match may hinge on one or two key moments.

2. Set Pieces and Corners

Belhaven's 125 corner kicks to Emory's 87 show both teams are comfortable generating pressure in the attacking third.

3. Star Power Up Front

This match features four players with at least eight goals and multiple creative threats on both sides. Antonoplos, Snell, and Whiting give Belhaven depth, while Emory spreads scoring across its entire rotation.

4. Goalkeeper Duel

Roberts and Garcia have combined for 14 shutouts and post sub-1.00 GAA's. Whichever keeper handles the early pressure and manages crosses, rebounds, and set pieces more cleanly could tilt the match.

You can watch the Blazers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament here. 

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