SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Final Four.
Perhaps no two words are more revered by fan bases across the college athletics landscape.
In a culture that all too often associates second-place as "the first loser", reaching the Final Four has become a goal in and of itself and a destination associated with success – no matter the outcome beyond that point.
The phrase "Final Four" first appeared in print in a 1975 article for the Official Collegiate Basketball Guide, whose author Ed Chay was a sportswriter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Chaye stated that the Marquette University basketball squadron "was one of the final four" during the previous season's tournament. The NCAA pioneered the term and has since trademarked it.
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) is no stranger to Final Fours. Since 1995, the league has sent 25 different teams in seven different sports to a Final Four. Of those 25 appearances, 10 have resulted in a trip to the national championship game and six of those matches produced national champions for the SCAC.
On Friday, the Trinity University women's soccer team will become the 26th conference team to compete in a NCAA Final Four event. The Tigers, 24-0-2 and ranked second in the nation, will take on Middlebury College (17-1-3) at 2:30 p.m. ET at the 8,000-seat Toyota Field – the home of the San Antonio Scorpions of the North American Soccer League. Friday's opening match-up will pit William Smith College (21-1-0) against Capital University (19-4-2) at noon. The winners will vie for the national title at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The tournament is being co-hosted by Trinity and San Antonio Sports for the fifth consecutive year.
Trinity's appearance snaps an almost five year Final Four dry spell for the SCAC – the longest such stretch in league history – as the conference's last Final Four team was the Oglethorpe University women's basketball team in 2008.
The Final Four appearance by the Trinity women's soccer team will be the third in the program's history, after previously making it in both 2000 and 2002. The DePauw University women's soccer team also represented the SCAC in a Final Four in 2003. No SCAC women's soccer team has advanced to the championship match as all three previous appearances by conference teams have resulted in semifinal losses and all in heartbreaking fashion.
The 2000 Trinity team lost to The College of New Jersey 1-0 just 21 seconds in the first overtime period. Two years later, and after dueling to a scoreless draw in regulation and both overtime periods, the Trinity women lost to Messiah College 3-1 on penalty kicks. The following year, it was DePauw that was left broken-hearted as the Tigers fell to the University of Chicago 2-1 in double-overtime.
On Friday, the latest chapter of SCAC Final Four runs will play out as Trinity – in the program's 19th postseason appearance – will play for the first time in the championship rounds in front of its local fans.
Head Coach Lance Key has guided the Tigers to the big show for the ninth time in his 10-year career. Trinity eliminated Wheaton (Ill.) 2-1 in a home quarterfinals game.
"For us to be just down the road is very special to us," Key said. "It means a great deal to the players to have their peers and classmates cheering them on, as they have all season. To be able to play at home in the semifinals does not come around that often."
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SCAC - FINAL FOUR HISTORY |
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|
SPORT |
YEAR |
SCHOOL |
RESULT |
|
W Tennis |
1995 |
Trinity |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
W Tennis |
1996 |
Trinity |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
W Tennis |
1997 |
Trinity |
Lost in Championship |
|
Football |
1998 |
Trinity |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
M Tennis |
1999 |
Trinity |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
W Tennis |
1999 |
Trinity |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
Football |
1999 |
Trinity |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
Volleyball |
1999 |
Trinity |
Lost in Championship |
|
M Tennis |
2000 |
Trinity |
National Champions |
|
W Tennis |
2000 |
Trinity |
National Champions |
|
W Soccer |
2000 |
Trinity |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
W Tennis |
2001 |
Trinity |
Lost in Championship |
|
W Basketball |
2002 |
DePauw |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
W Tennis |
2002 |
Trinity |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
Football |
2002 |
Trinity |
Lost in Championship |
|
W Soccer |
2002 |
Trinity |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
Volleyball |
2002 |
Trinity |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
W Basketball |
2003 |
Trinity |
National Champions |
|
M Soccer |
2003 |
Trinity |
National Champions |
|
W Soccer |
2003 |
DePauw |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
W Tennis |
2006 |
Trinity |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
W Basketball |
2007 |
DePauw |
National Champions |
|
W Tennis |
2007 |
Sewanee |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
M Soccer |
2007 |
Trinity |
Lost in Championship |
|
W Basketball |
2008 |
Oglethorpe |
Lost in Semifinals |
|
W Soccer |
2013 |
Trinity |
? |
