ROCK HILL, S.C. (Nov. 1, 2026) – The semifinal field is set for the 2026 South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer Championship following Saturday's quarterfinal action. Top-seeded Catawba, second-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne, third-seeded Carson-Newman and fourth-seeded Wingate each earned victories to advance to the semifinals on Friday, November 6, at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, North Carolina.
No. 1 Catawba 2, No. 8 Anderson 0
Top-seeded Catawba opened its postseason run with a 2-0 shutout victory over eighth-seeded Anderson at Frock Field in Salisbury, North Carolina.
Bree Ehmer put the Catawba Indians ahead early, finding the back of the net just 4:10 into the contest off an assist from Ali Skinner. The score remained 1-0 until the closing seconds, when Cadence Setzer added an insurance goal with just 14 seconds remaining, assisted by Ehmer.
Catawba controlled much of the offensive action, outshooting Anderson 22-9 and holding a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks. Goalkeeper Lauren Zitt recorded two saves to preserve the shutout as Catawba improved to 12-4-2 on the season.
No. 4 Wingate 4, No. 5 Lincoln Memorial 1
Fourth-seeded Wingate used a four-goal second half to secure a 4-1 victory over fifth-seeded Lincoln Memorial at the Wingate Soccer Complex.
After a scoreless opening half, the Bulldogs broke through in the 53rd minute with a team goal. Lincoln Memorial responded less than a minute later when Jade Brown equalized, but Wingate quickly regained the lead just 22 seconds later on a goal from Tilde Wahrenberg, assisted by Katie Ensalaco.
Michelle Wenger extended the advantage in the 58th minute off an assist from Audur Halldorsdottir, who later capped the scoring with a goal in the final seconds.
Wingate finished with a 22-9 advantage in shots, including a 12-5 edge in shots on goal, to advance to the conference semifinals.
No. 2 Lenoir-Rhyne 2, No. 7 Coker 1
Second-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne built a two-goal first-half lead and held off a second-half rally from seventh-seeded Coker to earn a 2-1 quarterfinal victory in Hickory, North Carolina.
Katie Durham opened the scoring in the 14th minute, converting a pass from Isabella Zicchinolfi to give the Bears an early advantage. Zicchinolfi doubled the lead in the 33rd minute, converting a penalty kick to send Lenoir-Rhyne into halftime ahead 2-0.
Coker cut the deficit in half in the 52nd minute when Grace Sykes scored off an assist from Emma Brandt, but the Bears held on to secure the victory.
Lenoir-Rhyne outshot Coker 19-8 and held a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks. The Bears improved to 11-6-1 with the win.
No. 3 Carson-Newman 2, No. 6 Mars Hill 1
Third-seeded Carson-Newman scored twice in a span of 75 seconds late in the second half to rally past sixth-seeded Mars Hill, 2-1, at McCown Field in Jefferson City, Tennessee.
After a scoreless first half, Mars Hill broke through in the 63rd minute when Leah Krugh converted a penalty kick to give the Lions a 1-0 advantage.
Carson-Newman answered in the 77th minute when Iris Palsdottir netted the equalizer off assists from Olivia Shannon and Alayna Corbitt. Just 1:15 later, Brooke Bolton scored the game-winner in the 78th minute, finishing a pass from Lilah Kim to complete the comeback.
The Eagles held a 17-9 advantage in shots, including an 8-4 edge in shots on goal, while also earning six corner kicks to Mars Hill's one. Carson-Newman goalkeeper Amber Wilkinson recorded three saves, while Mars Hill's Lexie Guy finished with six.
With the victory, Carson-Newman improved to 8-3-7, while Mars Hill concluded its season with a 7-7-5 record.
Semifinal Matchups Set for Friday
The four remaining teams will travel to Matthews, North Carolina, for the SAC Women's Soccer Championship semifinals on Friday, November 6, at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex.
Friday, November 6 – Semifinals
5:00 p.m. – No. 1 Catawba vs. No. 4 Wingate
8:00 p.m. – No. 2 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. No. 3 Carson-Newman
Sunday, November 8 – Championship Final
4:00 p.m. – Semifinal Winners
The semifinal winners will advance to Sunday's championship match, with the SAC tournament title and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship on the line.
For championship information, visit www.thesac.com.