New College of Florida Women's Soccer begins its final stretch of the regular season Tuesday as the Mighty Banyans face Ave Maria at 5 p.m. in Ave Maria, Florida.
NCF (7-2-3, 2-2-2) enters the match fifth in The Sun Conference standings with eight points. The Mighty Banyans will clinch the first Sun Conference Tournament berth in program history with a victory or draw in either of their two remaining matches.
The Mighty Banyans is coming off a scoreless draw against Florida Memorial on Senior Day at NCF Bayfront Field. Following Tuesday's match, NCF will return home to face No. 21 SCAD in Thursday's regular-season finale.
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MATCH NOTES
A CHANCE TO MAKE HISTORY: NCF will clinch its first Sun Conference Tournament berth with a victory or draw against Ave Maria. The Mighty Banyans could also secure qualification in Thursday's regular-season finale against SCAD.
TWO MATCHES TO SHAPE THE SEEDING: NCF can finish as high as third in the conference standings. Two victories would place the Mighty Banyans third or fourth, while a victory and a draw would result in a finish between third and fifth.
EVERY POINT MATTERS: A victory and a loss would leave NCF between third and sixth, while two draws would result in a fourth- or fifth-place finish. A draw and a loss would place the Mighty Banyans between fourth and sixth.
THE LOSS SCENARIO: If NCF loses both remaining matches, it would still qualify if Warner loses or draws against Webber International. A Warner victory would leave NCF's postseason fate dependent on SCAD's result against Southeastern and the conference tiebreakers.
ONE OF THE NAIA'S TOP ATTACKS: NCF has scored 55 goals through 12 matches, ranking 25th in the NAIA. The Mighty Banyans rank seventh nationally with 4.58 goals per match and have attempted 289 shots with 148 on goal.
HARDY AND WOERNER SET THE PACE: Faith Hardy leads NCF with 11 goals and three game-winning goals, while Naomi Woerner has recorded 10 goals and a team-leading six assists. Woerner leads The Sun Conference with 2.36 points per match, while Hardy ranks second at 2.18.
WRIGHT COMING OFF A CLEAN SHEET: Avaya Wright helped NCF earn its seventh team shutout of the season against Florida Memorial. Wright has recorded three individual shutouts while making 39 saves through 11 appearances.
KNOW THE GYRENES: Ave Maria enters Tuesday at 3-5-6 overall and 0-3-4 in conference play. The Gyrenes have drawn each of their past three matches and have scored 16 goals while allowing 22. Goalkeeper Emma Schweitzer has made 58 saves and averages a conference-leading 4.83 saves per match.
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Series vs. Ave Maria: Ave Maria leads 2-0-1
Last Meeting: NCF fell to Ave Maria, 1-0, on Oct. 29, 2025, at NCF Bayfront Field.
UP NEXT: Following Tuesday's match, NCF will host No. 21 SCAD in its regular-season finale Thursday at 3 p.m. at NCF Bayfront Field.
