FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The 2-seed Nova Southeastern Sharks and the 4-seed Florida Tech Panthers are set to square off again in today's NCAA South Region Championship (Sweet 16). This will be the third time the two conference foes have met this year, and the winner will advance to the NCAA Elite Eight (National Quarterfinals).
The Sharks are coming off a gritty 1-0 victory over the sixth-seeded Montevallo Falcons last Sunday. Senior
Sofia Suarez, the SSC Offensive Player of the Year, scored the lone goal for NSU at the 72:02 mark, and the Sharks held on to advance to the Sweet 16.
Meanwhile, the Panthers defeated 5-seed Embry-Riddle in the NCAA First Round, before going on the road to upset top seed West Florida 2-1 last Sunday. Lauryn Wood scored an early goal in the fourth minute for the Panthers, but the Argonauts tied the game 1-1 with a score just before the half. Rebecca Storr scored the game-winner for the Panthers in the 80th minute, setting the stage for another rematch with NSU.
Both teams vividly remember the last time they met, as the Sharks bested the Panthers in the 2025 SSC Tournament Championship (which was also a rematch from the year before).
Genesis Hernandez drew first blood as NSU got on the board in the sixth minute, but Savannah Oxley responded for the Panthers in the 24th minute to tie the score 1-1. Neither team was able to score in the second half, nor through two overtime periods, which led to a shootout. Sophomore
Alexa Bereczki scored the game-winner on the Sharks' sixth attempt, and NSU captured its first ever SSC Tournament Title.
Both the Sharks and the Panthers were well represented on the D2CCA All-South Region Teams, which were announced earlier this week. For the Sharks,
Sofia Suarez,
Genesis Hernandez and
Kajsa Lang were named to the All-South Region First Team, and
Alexa Bereczki was named to the Second Team. For the Panthers, Sara Batchadji, Lauryn Wood and Sarah Bromage were named to the Second Team as well.
Kickoff for today's NCAA South Region Championship is scheduled for 3pm at the NSU Soccer Stadium. Fans can watch the live broadcast on NCAA.com. To stay up-to-date with Sharks Women's Soccer, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter/X at NSU_WSoccer.
