INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – For the second time in program history, the #15 Concordia-St. Paul soccer team (13-0-2, 10-0-2 NSIC) is featured in the NCAA Central Region Rankings, earning their highest-ever ranking in this week's listing, slotted in the second spot in the initial rankings behind only Central Missouri.
 
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), the Mid-America Athletic Association (MIAA), and the Great American Conference (GAC) make up the 35-team NCAA Central Region. The top seven teams in the region will advance to the NCAA region tournament on November 21^st-24^th.  Automatic bids are granted to the winners of the MIAA, GAC, and NSIC postseason tournaments, with the remaining four spots being awarded on an at-large basis.
 
There were five NSIC teams that were ranked in the top ten, with #19 Minnesota State earning the third spot in the region behind CSP with their 13-2-0 record. Bemidji State is slotted in the fourth sport with their 10-4-1 record, Augustana is in the sixth spot with a 12-2-1 record and UMary is in the eighth spot with a 8-3-2 record.
 
The Golden Bears head into the final three games of conference play with an 13-0-2 overall record and a 10-0-2 record in NSIC games. CSP currently sits at the top of the conference with 32 conference points and are in front of Augustana by only one conference point (31) and head of Minnesota State by only two conference points (30). The top eight teams in the NSIC make the postseason conference tournament, with the top four teams hosting a first-round game.
 
The Golden Bears have an opportunity to host an NSIC Tournament game for the first time since 2006, third time in school history and first time since the opening of Sea Foam Stadium in 2009. They are also aiming to host their first ever conference tournament semifinal and championship round and are now in the mix to be considered as a host site for NCAA Tournament play.

An important factor in the team's success this season has been their tough defense. The 2019 team recently broke the Concordia school record for most shutouts in a season set by last year's team, posting 12 shutouts so far this year. They currently are riding a five game 498-minute shutout streak into Friday night's game. Through 15 games, the Golden Bears have only allowed five goals, for the lowest goals against average in the NSIC with a 0.33.
 
The NCAA women's soccer selection show will be streamed online on Monday, November 18^th at NCAA.com at 5:30 p.m. (CT). The 2019 NCAA Division II women's soccer championship will take place in Pittsburgh and will be hosted by Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, and SportsPITTSBURGH at Highmark Stadium.
 
CSP continues their schedule on Friday, November 1^st at Sea Foam Stadium against Wayne State and on Sunday, November 3^rd at Augustana in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Live stats and video links are available on the soccer schedule page.