Women's Soccer 7/15/2013 8:45:00 AM Tyler Madsen, Truman Athletics

Women's Soccer Preps for First GLVC Campaign

This series, running from June 27 – August 22, 2013, highlights Truman State University's transition from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association to the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Please refer to the schedule below for each installment throughout the summer series.

Previous:
June 28 – Rich History of Bulldog Athletics in MIAA
July 1 - A New Era Begins: Bulldogs Join GLVC
July 5 – GLVC Football Begins Second Year
July 8 – Volleyball Sets High Goals for 2013 Campaign
July 11 – A Closer Look: GLVC Cross Country/Track & Field

GLVC Links:
2012 Standings || 2012 Statistics || 2012 All-GLVC Team

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - - It's safe to say that the Great Lakes Valley Conference women's soccer league kicked it up a notch with the revolving door of conference realignment in the summer of 2013.

Exiting to the GMAC is Kentucky Wesleyan, a program with 14 total conference victories in the past 13 seasons. Taking its place? A program with nine MIAA championships and nine NCAA tournament appearances in the past 14 seasons, not to mention 19 straight winning seasons.

Head coach Mike Cannon will lead the Bulldogs into unchartered waters this September, as Truman will look to establish itself right out of the gate in year one of GLVC action.

Beginning its 19^th season as a conference sport, women's soccer in the GLVC has perennially been one of the league's most heralded, having garnered 43 NCAA tournament berths spread out amongst 12 different programs (10 current, two former). Quincy (eight) and Wisconsin-Parkside (six) have seen the most postseason action, with the QU Lady Hawks having made the field of 48 each of the past seven seasons.

The league earned five of the six Midwest regional berths in 2012, with Quincy landing the No. 2 seed behind top-seeded Grand Valley (Mich.) State from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC). William Jewell (Mo.) was seeded third, followed by No. 4 Bellarmine (Ky.), No. 5 Rockhurst (Mo.), and No. 6 UW-Parkside. UWP made a run all the way to the NCAA Round of 16 en route to finishing the season ranked No. 15 in the NSCAA top-25. Both QU and RU received votes outside the final top-25 poll.

Four GLVC standouts were named NSCAA All-Americans, with two – WJC senior Sarah Franklin and QU sophomore Ashley Burton – set to return for the 2013 season. Franklin was named the GLVC Offensive Player of the Year after scoring 16 goals, while Burton was selected as the GLVC Freshman of the Year.

Throughout the season, the league office selects one student-athlete each Monday as its "Player of the Week", while a total of 33 players are selected to one of three GLVC all-league teams at the conclusion of the season.

History with GLVC Opponents
The Bulldog women have a combined 82-42-10 record all-time against current GLVC opponents, with most of its history coming against Missouri S&T (20-6-2), Missouri-St. Louis (7-8-2) and Quincy (9-10-2).

However, fans will have to look back to 2004 to find a GLVC opponent not named Quincy or Drury on the Bulldog schedule, as Truman has gone 2-3-1 combined against the Lady Hawks and Panthers since 2007. The Bulldogs swept Missouri S&T (then Missouri-Rolla, as members of the MIAA) in 2004 following a 3-0 season against current GLVC programs in 2003.

GLVC 2013 Schedule/Conference Tournament
After a season-opening trek to Minnesota to face Minnesota-Mankato and Winona State, the Bulldogs open GLVC action the following weekend. Truman hosts Maryville (Mo.) in its first GLVC contest on Friday, Sept. 13 before traveling to Missouri-St. Louis on Sunday, Sept. 15.

Every NCAA tournament team out of the GLVC last season will have to step onto the pitch in Kirksville this season, as UW-Parkside (Sept. 22), Rockhurst (Oct. 4), William Jewell (Oct. 6), Bellarmine (Oct. 18) and Quincy (Oct. 30) will all visit the Truman Soccer Park in 2013. Other home dates include Lewis (Sept. 20) and McKendree (Oct. 20), along with former MIAA foe Missouri Western (Sept. 17).

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs will hit the road for seven league contests, with trips to Indianapolis (Sept. 27), St. Joseph's (Ind.) (Sept. 29), Missouri S&T (Oct. 11), Drury (Oct. 13), Southern Indiana (Oct. 25) and Illinois-Springfield (Oct. 27) joining the UMSL road affair on the 2013 slate.

All GLVC teams will play 15 league matches in a single round-robin format, with the overall top team by percentage at the end of the season earning champion status. The top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament, with the top four seeds earning a home quarterfinal match on Sunday, November 3. The four advancing teams then travel to the top remaining seed for the conference semifinals and championship the following weekend, with the league's automatic berth to the NCAA tournament handed out on Sunday, November 10.

NCAA Championship Format
The Bulldogs now compete in the Midwest region, with the GLVC, GLIAC and Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) combining to compete for regional bids. Both the GLVC and GLIAC receive an automatic berth for its conference champion, while the GMAC will not for the next two seasons due to its NCAA-II provisional status.

The regional format follows previous procedures, with the top two (of six) seeds hosting sub-regional play during the first weekend (Nov. 15-17), with the two sub-regional winners advancing to the Round of 16/Regional Championship the following weekend (Nov. 22-24).

The national semifinals and championship will be contested for the second straight season at Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, Georgia. The semifinals will take place at 1:00 pm on December 5, with the national championship set for 11:00 am on December 7.

Upcoming
Thursday – GLVC Men's Track & Field/Cross Country Preview
July 22 – GLVC Men's Soccer Preview
July 25 – GLVC Men's & Women's Swimming Preview
July 29 – GLVC Women's Basketball Preview
August 1 – GLVC Men's Basketball Preview
August 5 – GLVC Men's & Women's Tennis Preview
August 8 – GLVC Women's Golf Preview
August 12 – GLVC Baseball Preview
August 15 – GLVC Softball Preview
August 19 – GLVC Award Season Preview

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