Women's Soccer | 11/6/2012 2:11:00 PM

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ROCHESTER, NY – For the first time in program history, the RIT women's soccer team will compete in the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship. The Tigers, an at-large selection, will play Ohio Northern University on Saturday, November 10 at 1:30 p.m. on the campus if Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Saturday will be RIT's first NCAA Tournament game since the program's inception back in 1982.

“I am incredibly proud of this team,” stated third-year Head Coach Liz Masterson. “They have had a team-first mentality all year.”

RIT enters Saturday's game with an 11-5-2 record, and are 5-0-2 in their last seven games. Last time out, the Tigers tied No. 12 William Smith College 1-1 in the Liberty League Tournament Semifinals, losing 4-2 in penalty kicks. Sophomore Jaimie Lewandowski (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) tied the game at 1-1 with her fourth goal of the season off an assist from Liberty League Rookie of the Year, Emily Shoemaker (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) in the 85th minute.

The Tigers are averaging 1.56 goals per game, and have outscored their opponents 28-14 on the season. Despite missing the last eight games, Rachael Bromson (Suffield, CT/Suffield) leads RIT in scoring with 20 points on nine goals and two assists. Lewandowski is second on the team in scoring with 10 points on four goals and two assists. Lewandowski and freshman Quincey Ornellas (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark) each have four goals on the season, while senior Ashlene Potter (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) has three goals on the season.

Defensively, RIT allows 0.78 goals per game and have eight shutouts on the season. Sophomore Amanda Murray (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) has seen the majority of the minutes in net for RIT, posting a 10-5-2 record. She has a 0.83 goals against average and a .844 save percentage to go along with six shut outs on the year.

Ohio Northern comes into Saturday's first round match with a 13-4-4 overall record. The Polar Bears are 6-0-1 in their last seven games, including a 2-0 win over John Carroll in the Ohio Athletic Conference Finals to earn the automatic qualifier. This will be the third trip overall and the second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament for the Polar Bears.

Offensively, Ohio Northern averages 1.86 goals per game. The Polar Bears have scored 39 goals on the season led by sophomore Kristina Klusek who has 36 points on 14 goals and eight assists. Sandy Plunkett is second on the team in scoring with 17 points on six goals and five assists, while Sandra Thorarensen is third with 14 points on six goals and two assists.

Defensively, the Polar Bears have allowed 14 goals on the season, allowing 0.67 goals per game including eight shutouts. Senior Erin Waehner has played the majority of the minutes in net for Ohio Northern, allowing 13 goals in 21 games this season. She has a 0.62 goals against average, a .787 save percentage and eight shutouts on the season.

Saturday will be the first ever meeting between the two programs. The winner will face the winner between Carnegie Mellon and Cabrini on Sunday, November 11 at 1:30 pm in Pittsburgh, Pa.