Division II and III Colleges with Great Women’s Soccer Programs
Many soccer players dream of playing at the collegiate level, but many steps and factors to consider when searching for the perfect school. One of the most important parts is determining what Division of college soccer you strive to play in. About 9.6% of high school women’s soccer players compete at the collegiate level, and out of that, only 2.3% go on to play at the Division I level. Since Division I schools may get more attention, we’re here to highlight some of the top Division II and III collegiate women’s soccer programs.
Grand Valley State University (Division II)
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The Division II level has about 228 women’s teams. Grand Valley State University is a part of the Midwest area and competes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. They are the number one seed in their region and took home the conference title. Grand Valley State ended their regular season with a 12-0-2 record, totaling 65 goals and an average of 3.42 shots per game. Grand Valley State has made its mark with its women’s program, and they are in search of their seventh National Title this season.
There are other Midwest and West coast region schools that are top-of-the-table teams. For example, Seattle Pacific plays in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, and they are looking to make it to the NCAA championships.
College of Saint Rose (Division II)
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On the East coast, several top Division II schools have had remarkable seasons back after the pandemic. The College of Saint Rose earned second in the Northeast-10 Conference. They concluded their season with a 9-1-3 regular-season record, 47 goals scored, an average of 2.61 goals per game. Additionally, they finished as the number one seed in their region and have made it to the NCAA Final Four seven times.
Molloy College (Division II)
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Another team in the NE-10 conference that has had a stellar season is Molloy College. Molloy beat Mercy College for the East Coast Conference Championship this past weekend; it was their second time earning the ECC title. They are currently seeded number two in their group for their first time making it to the NCAA tournament.
Wesleyan University (Division III)
? Movin' on up ⬆️
Another record for @wes_wsoccer … highest national ranking in team history, No. 1⃣ in the Northeast and the first time the Cards are the highest nationally-ranked team in the NESCAC ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/9ijEqFbNdA
— Wesleyan Athletics (@wes_athletics) September 28, 2021
In addition to the powerful DII schools, there are about 340 DIII schools. Wesleyan University in Connecticut is at the top of the rankings in Region I. They participated in the NESCAC Conference, where they fell short in the championship match but received an NCAA bid to continue to the tournament. Wesleyan ended their regular season with an 8-1-1 record and totaled 47 goals and 2.76 shots per game.
MIT (Division III)
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Another school that dominates is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology of Region II. MIT ended its regular season with a 9-1-0 record and was named NEWMAC champions for the fourth consecutive season. They advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament, where they will play this weekend to advance to the quarterfinals.
Loras College (Division III)
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Loras College is also looking to extend its season, decisively dominating Region IX and winning their American Rivers Conference Championship. They ended their regular season with an undefeated season and continued their success to make it to the third round of the NCAA tournament. Additionally, Loras is a familiar face to the NCAA tournament as they’ve made it to the Sweet Sixteen a few times.
Trinity University (Division III)
Took over the ship and eating dinner on it too! 2021 SCAC CHAMPIONS AGAIN!#FeedTheTigers #ChanpionshipsAreCool pic.twitter.com/FVegZzqhB0
— Trinity Soccer (@TUWSoccer) November 7, 2021
Another powerhouse DIII school that will play in the third round of the NCAA tournament is Trinity University. They ended their regular season with a 14-1-1 record, and they were named Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Champions for the 12th time in the last 13 seasons.
There are many other powerful DII and DIII programs across the country, and each program strives to be the best. As the NCAA tournament begins and there are upsets, thrilling wins, and advancements, each Division I, II, and III school is fighting to be the best in the nation.
Featured image via @LorasAthletics on Twitter
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