Taylor and Marian to Collide in NAIA National Championship Round of 16

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PENSACOLA, Fla. – No. 16 seed Taylor (14-2-3) will face top overall seed Marian (19-0-2) Monday in the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship Round of 16. The postseason clash between the Crossroads League rivals, who played to a scoreless draw earlier this season, is set for an 11 a.m. start at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in Pensacola, Florida.

Monday's opening match of the Round of 16 between Taylor and Marian will air live for free on the Urban Edge Network.

TU advanced to the final site of the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship for the first time in program history after defeating 11th-ranked Central Methodist 1-0 in the Second Round, last week at Turner Stadium. The Trojans dominated possession early and leaned heavily on its stalwart defense late to secure the win.

A calling-card all season, the Trojan defense set a new program single-season record with its 12th shutout. TU ranks inside the top 10 nationally among NAIA team leaders in shutouts and goals conceded (7).

The Trojans' second-round victory also marked the third ranked win of the season for the Trojans, and the first victory over a ranked opponent at Turner Stadium since defeating then-ranked No. 10 Marian last season.

The TU lineup features six first-team all-league selections including junior forward Eliza Luttrell, senior forward Kiana Siefert, junior defender Campbell Massey and senior goalkeeper Brianna Rawlings, alongside a pair of honorable-mention midfielders, senior Morgan Fletemeyer and freshman Lydia Johnson.

The Trojans rank second in the Crossroads League and 21st nationally in shots per game (20.3), while sitting third in the CL and 44th nationally in goals per game (2.83). The Trojans have outscored opponents by a combined margin of 52-7 this season.

Taylor received one of 14 at-large bids to the national tournament and earned a top-16 seed with one of the finest seasons in program history. It's the third national tournament appearance in seven years under head coach Scott Stan.

The Trojans closed the regular season ranked 17th in the NAIA coaches' poll and appeared in five consecutive polls for the first time in eight years.

Marian advanced to the Round of 16 after blanking Aquinas 2-0 on its home pitch in the Second Round.

The Knights, who were ranked No. 2 in the final NAIA coaches' poll and claimed the CL regular season title, are one of three unbeaten teams in the NAIA and have posted 15 shoutouts this fall.

The Knights are led by CL Player of the Year, Katie Koger (14 goals), along with first-team all-league honorees Mariah Corro Celma, Taylor Wert and Kiley Jones.

The recent series between Taylor and Marian has been evenly matched with a record of 1-1-2 for both sides over the previous four meetings.

When the two teams met earlier this fall in a scoreless draw at Turner Stadium, the Trojans handed the Knights their first shutout in 23 games dating back to a 1-0 loss against TU last season.

The two sides played to a 2-2 draw in 2023 with Marian posting a 3-2 triumph in 2022.