HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College men's soccer team has been selected as a No. 1 seed for the 2015 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament. With the top ranking in their portion of the bracket, the Fords (16-3) receive one of the three first round byes in the entire draw.
Haverford, the Centennial Conference Champions and automatic qualifier from the conference, will now open NCAA Tournament play on Sunday, November 15 at 1 p.m. The Fords will play the winner of Old Dominion Athletic Conference Champion Washington & Lee (15-3-2) and USA South Tournament Champion Methodist (14-4-3). Methodist will travel to Washington & Lee this Thursday to open the tournament. The winner of that match will then make the trip to Haverford on Sunday.
The Fords have met Washington & Lee twice in program history, but not since 1982. The Fords won a 3-2 battle on a neutral site in 1981 and lost a home contest by a 4-2 tally in 1982 on Walton Field. Haverford and Methodist have never met in program history.
Men's soccer will be making its fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Fords previously made the NCAA Tournament during the 1976, 1977, 1980, and 2012 seasons. Haverford has already guaranteed itself a spot in the second round for the third time in program history. The first appearance in the second round came during the 1980 season with a 4-3 win against Elizabethtown. Haverford's current class of seniors has also advanced to the second round during their freshmen campaigns with a 4-3 edge in penalty kicks against Wesleyan.