RICHARDSON, Texas –– Nationally-ranked Hardin-Simmons University was the only American Southwest Conference women’s soccer team to go through league play undefeated and it earned them the right to host the ASC Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament for the fourth consecutive season in Abilene, Texas. The six-team event will kick off Friday and last through Sunday (November 3-5).

The Cowgirls (15-0-3) – ranked No. 14 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of American/adidas national poll and tenth by D3Kicks.com – receive a first-round bye. The three-time defending ASC champions enter the tourney having outscored their last seven opponents 68-0.

University of Texas at Dallas (13-3-2), which lost to HSU 1-0 in last year’s tourney title game and dealt the Cowgirls their only non-win in conference this season, also receive a bye as the No. 2 seed.

Texas Lutheran University (13-5-0), which is the only team in this year’s field that did not make the 2005 championship tourney, enters as the No. 3 seed and will face sixth-seeded East Texas Baptist University (11-6-2) in a first-round matchup.

Mississippi College earned the No. 4 seed and will open against No. 5 seed LeTourneau University (10-7-2).

University of Texas at Tyler finished the regular season in third place but remains ineligible for the postseason because it is a NCAA provisional member.

Returning All-Tournament selections from last year are Hardin-Simmons’ Regan Cappella, Beth Craig and Laura Newbrough, Texas-Dallas’ Lyndsi Ayers and Genny Nevitt, and East Texas Baptist’s Kelli Hendley and Janna Wilson, who is the ASC’s all-time leader in points and goals scored.

The ASC championship tourney winner earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship.

2006 ASC WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
-Hosted by Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas-
Friday, November 3 (Quarterfinals)
Game 1: #4 Mississippi College (13-5-0) vs. #4 LeTourneau (10-7-2), 11:00
Game 2: #6 East Texas Baptist (11-6-2) vs. #3 Texas Lutheran (13-5-0), 2:00
Saturday, November 4 (Semifinals)
Game 3: #1 Hardin-Simmons (15-0-3) vs. Winner Game 1, 11:00
Game 4: #2 Texas-Dallas (13-3-2) vs. Winner Game 2, 2:00
Sunday, November 5 (Finals)
Game 5 (Championship): Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1:00

NOTES: Admission prices will be $5 for adults and $2 for students. . . . Live stats for each game will be available through Gametracker on HSU's athletics website.