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The #12 Aquinas women's soccer team will face (RV) Hope International (Calif.) in the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round game on Thursday (Nov. 18), with kick-off scheduled for 4:00 PM. The Saints earned the #2 seed in the Marion bracket and will play against the #3 seeded Royals at the Indiana Wesleyan University Soccer Field in Marion, Indiana, as the bracket is hosted by the IWU Wildcats. This is the fourth straight season that AQ has made the NAIA National Tournament and have an overall record of 2-3, winning a game in each of the last two seasons.

AQ ended the season on a 15-game unbeaten streak, including winning the last nine games. The Saints are entering the tournament after winning their third WHAC Tournament Championship in program history. They also won the WHAC regular season title for the second consecutive season and fifth time overall. This is the first time since 2007 that Aquinas has won the WHAC regular season and tournament championship in the same season. The Saints have also been in the NAIA Coaches' Top-25 Poll every week this season and have reached as high as #11, which is the highest in program history.

Offensively Aquinas has been a juggernaut by outscoring opponents 79-13 on the season and have won 11 of its 19 games by at least two goals. Leading the way is WHAC Offensive Player of the Year, Hannah Crum, who has a team-high 14 goals and 39 points to go along with her 11 assists. Sydney Shenk also scored 12 goals this season, while Ariana Garcia added seven goals with her team-leading 12 assists. 

On the defensive side of the field, the Saints have limited opponents to 0.64 goals per game and are led by WHAC Defensive Player of the Year, Merin McDermott. She has also scored nine goals on the offensive end and is tied with Macy Hollingsworth with a team-high four game-winning goals. Tairyn Webb has won her last 12 decisions in net, making 46 saves for a 0.70 goals-against average and a .807 save percentage on the season. AQ has also shut out opponents a total of nine times in 2021.

Aquinas' opposition, the Hope International Royals, have a 12-0-3 record so far this season and shared a piece of the GSAC regular season title with a 6-0-2 conference record. Most recently the Royals took on Westmont College in the GSAC Tournament Championship as the game finished in a 2-2 tie through two overtimes. Eventually, HIU fell in a shootout 5-4 as the Warriors took home the trophy. This will be the second time in program history that Hope International has made the NAIA National Tournament.

The Royals are having their best season since 2018 with new head coach Scott Dement leading the way, winning GSAC Coach of the Year in his first season. HIU also has the GSAC Player of the Year on its roster in Ofelia Sosa Cruz, who leads the team with nine goals, three game-winning goals, and 21 points, while also adding three assists. Opponents have only scored 12 goals in 14 games on the Royals' defense with Siera Pedroza having a 0.74 goals-against average and a .882 save percentage with 75 saves and six shutouts in net.