Monday, November 14, 2011

Atlantic Sun Champion FGCU faces UCF in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Championship on November 17 in Orlando, Fla. 

The Eagles (12-5-2) will be making their inaugural trip to the NCAA Championship just five years after playing their first match. In three of the last seven seasons, an A-Sun team has advanced to the second round of the championship.

FGCU and UCF (11-5-3) met earlier this year when the Eagles upset the then undefeated and No. 8 Knights 2-1 in Orlando. Andres Navas knocked home the game-winner just three minutes into the second half in the first-ever meeting between the programs. The winner of Thursday's contest will face the seventh-seeded USF Bulls in Tampa on Saturday night.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an NCAA Division I league with 10 member institutions committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun meets the challenge of maintaining the highest standards in academic and athletic achievement with a true balance between student and athlete. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.