With the 2009 SWAC soccer regular season officially coming to a close on Sunday, the stage is now set for the Conference Championship this week November 5 – 8. The top four finishers from the Eastern and Western divisions will be heading to Mississippi Valley State’s campus in Itta Bena, MS to vie for the 2009 SWAC title.
In the East, Jackson State and defending championships Mississippi Valley State will claim the #1 and #2 seeds, respectively. The teams finished the regular season with identical 3-0-1 conference records and played one another to a 0-0 tie earlier this season. However, J-State won the tie-breaker of goal differential in divisional play (9-8), giving the Lady Tigers the edge for the #1 spot over the Devilettes.
At 2-2 in the SWAC’s Eastern division, Alabama A&M heads to the tournament as the #3 seed after wins over Alabama State (4-0) and Alcorn State (3-1) this season. Alcorn State (1-3 SWAC) punched the last ticket in the East when it defeated Alabama State 3-0 on Sunday for its first conference win of the season and the #4 slot.
Grambling State clinched the #1 position in the West when it overcame Arkansas-Pine Bluff 1-0 on Sunday afternoon. GSU came into Sunday’s match with one conference loss while UAPB had yet to suffer a SWAC loss. However, with the Lady Tigers’ victory both teams stand at 3-1 with Grambling State getting the head-to-head advantage and the #1 ranking and UAPB the #2 spot.
Prairie View A&M claims the #3 slot in the West with a 2-2 conference slate. The Lady Panthers posted wins over Texas Southern (3-0) and Southern (1-0) this season to guarantee their position. Rounding out the Western bracket will be Southern in the #4 position. The Jaguars defeated Texas Southern 3-2 on Sunday, giving both teams a 1-3 SWAC record and SU the last tournament ticket with the head-to-head edge.
The 2009 SWAC Soccer tournament will kickoff at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 5th. All matches will be played at the MVSU Soccer Field. The tournament bracket and first round match ups are attached.
Thursday’s First Round Match-Ups
Game 1 – 10:30 a.m.: #2 West – Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. #3 East – Alabama A&M
Game 2 – 1 p.m.: #2 East – Mississippi Valley State vs. #3 West – Prairie View A&M
Game 3 – 3:30 p.m.: #1 West – Grambling State vs. #4 East – Alcorn State
Game 4 – 6 p.m.: #1 East – Jackson State vs. #4 West – Southern
