FLORENCE, SC – The Francis Marion University men's soccer team learned on Monday evening (Nov. 18) who the Patriots will face in the upcoming NCAA Division II National Tournament.

The 40-team field will include four super regionals with 10 teams apiece. Teams from the same region will be paired for first- and/or second-round competition, which will be conducted Friday and Sunday, Nov. 22 and 24. The third-round will be held on Dec. 1, followed by the quarterfinals games on Dec. 7. All preliminary round competitions will be played on campuses of competing institutions. The semifinals and final will be played Dec. 12 and 14 at Sportsplex at Matthew Stadium in Matthews, N.C., hosted by Wingate University.

Francis Marion, champions of Conference Carolinas with a 10-5-6 record, is seeded ninth in the Super Region 2.  The Patriots will face eighth-seeded Mars Hill University (10-3-4) on Friday at 3 p.m. in Mars Hill, N.C.  The winner will face top-seeded Limestone University (14-1-3) on Sunday at 3 p.m., also in Mars Hill.  FMU tied the Saints 1-1 on Oct. 12 in Florence, but the Patriots did not face Mars Hill during the 2024 regular season.

In Friday's other Super Region 2 first-round match, seventh-seeded University of West Florida (11-2-4) will play 10th-seeded Flagler College (12-4-3) at 3 p.m. in Boca Raton, Fla., with the winner facing second-seeded Lynn University (15-0-2) on Sunday at 3 p.m.  Other second-round match-ups have fourth-seeded Clayton State University (12-3-3) playing at fifth-seeded Converse University (9-1-8) on Sunday at 3 p.m. and third-seeded Coker University (14-2-1) hosting sixth-seeded Auburn University at Montgomery (11-2-6) at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Super Region 2 includes the South Atlantic Conference, Conference Carolinas, the Sunshine State Conference, the Gulf South Conference, and the Peach Belt Conference.
This is Francis Marion's fourth NCAA Tournament appearance.  The Patriots advanced to the national quarterfinals in 2000 and to the second round of both the 2008 and 2019 events.
 
FMU leads the all-time series with Mars Hill 6-2, however the two programs have not met since the 2009 season. 

The Patriots and Lions shared seven commons opponents this season.  Both squads tied Limestone, with Mars Hill also losing to the Saints in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament semifinals.  FMU was 1-0-1 against the University of Mount Olive, while Mars Hill defeated the Trojans.  Both squads have wins over Catawba College, Lenoir-Rhyne University, and Southern Wesleyan University.  The Patriots tied Wingate University, while the Lions fell to the Bulldogs.  FMU lost to Coker, while Mars Hill earned a draw against the Cobras.

The Patriot program is under the direction of sixth-year head coach Luis Rincon.  He has guided the Patriots to an appearance in the conference title game five times, and this will be his second trip to the NCAA Tournament with FMU.  FMU has scored 30 goals while surrendering 23.  Mars Hill has tallied 45 goals, while allowing 24.