Posted 1:28 am Thursday, November 15, 2007
NJCAA Soccer Gets Under Way At TJC
By JOE BUIE
Staff Writer
Some familiar junior college soccer powers are back in the Rose City this week competing for a national championship.
The NJCAA Division I National Soccer Tournament gets under way Thursday at the Pat Hartley Complex on the Tyler Junior College campus.
The battle to finish No. 1 will begin Thursday with games at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The winner's bracket semifinals are scheduled for 4 and 6 p.m. Friday, with the final at 1 p.m. Sunday. The third-place match is set for 11 a.m. Sunday. There will be no action on Saturday.
Defending champion Jefferson College (Mo.), the No. 4 seed, will open at 2 p.m. Thursday against No. 5 seed San Jacinto South.
This year's event has five teams from last year's tournament, including Georgia Perimeter, Yavapai (Ariz.), Mercer County (N.J.) and Illinois Central.
The consolation semifinals will be at noon and 2 p.m. Friday, with the consolation final set for 9 a.m. Sunday.
The Pat Hartley Complex, located on the TJC campus off Fifth Street, has two natural-grass soccer fields. Both will be used during the tournament.
"We've had perfect weather, so both fields look very good," said TJC athletic director Dr. Tim Drain.
Drain added that the matches will rotate between fields 1 and 2. "The only time we will specifically assign a field is for the championship game."
Tournament passes may be purchased before the start of the tournament in the Intercollegiate Athletics Office, located inside Wagstaff Gymnasium.
Day passes will be sold on the day of the game only. Tournament passes are $8 each. Day passes are $4 for adults, $3 for students with ID, and $2 for children 9-14. Children 8 and under get in free, as will any youth soccer team that comes together in uniform.
"We're pleased to be hosting this tournament for the eighth time," Drain said.
"Once again we owe thanks to SPORTyler, Tyler Convention and Visitors Bureau and others who assist us with making it possible. We encourage fans to not miss this great event."
This year the tournament field was seeded 1-8, a sharp contrast from when the event first came to Tyler. Back then, the draw was pre-determined based on districts.
"There were a couple of years where arguably the best two teams played each other in the first round," Drain said.
Drain said last year the top four teams were seeded and the next four were randomly placed in the draw.
Notes: San Jacinto College-South will represent Texas at the national tournament. The Coyotes defeated TJC in the Region XIV final, and then beat Ranger in the district semifinals and Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa in the district final.
Staff Writer
Some familiar junior college soccer powers are back in the Rose City this week competing for a national championship.
The NJCAA Division I National Soccer Tournament gets under way Thursday at the Pat Hartley Complex on the Tyler Junior College campus.
The battle to finish No. 1 will begin Thursday with games at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The winner's bracket semifinals are scheduled for 4 and 6 p.m. Friday, with the final at 1 p.m. Sunday. The third-place match is set for 11 a.m. Sunday. There will be no action on Saturday.
Defending champion Jefferson College (Mo.), the No. 4 seed, will open at 2 p.m. Thursday against No. 5 seed San Jacinto South.
This year's event has five teams from last year's tournament, including Georgia Perimeter, Yavapai (Ariz.), Mercer County (N.J.) and Illinois Central.
The consolation semifinals will be at noon and 2 p.m. Friday, with the consolation final set for 9 a.m. Sunday.
The Pat Hartley Complex, located on the TJC campus off Fifth Street, has two natural-grass soccer fields. Both will be used during the tournament.
"We've had perfect weather, so both fields look very good," said TJC athletic director Dr. Tim Drain.
Drain added that the matches will rotate between fields 1 and 2. "The only time we will specifically assign a field is for the championship game."
Tournament passes may be purchased before the start of the tournament in the Intercollegiate Athletics Office, located inside Wagstaff Gymnasium.
Day passes will be sold on the day of the game only. Tournament passes are $8 each. Day passes are $4 for adults, $3 for students with ID, and $2 for children 9-14. Children 8 and under get in free, as will any youth soccer team that comes together in uniform.
"We're pleased to be hosting this tournament for the eighth time," Drain said.
"Once again we owe thanks to SPORTyler, Tyler Convention and Visitors Bureau and others who assist us with making it possible. We encourage fans to not miss this great event."
This year the tournament field was seeded 1-8, a sharp contrast from when the event first came to Tyler. Back then, the draw was pre-determined based on districts.
"There were a couple of years where arguably the best two teams played each other in the first round," Drain said.
Drain said last year the top four teams were seeded and the next four were randomly placed in the draw.
Notes: San Jacinto College-South will represent Texas at the national tournament. The Coyotes defeated TJC in the Region XIV final, and then beat Ranger in the district semifinals and Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa in the district final.
