Providence, RI -- Providence College's men's soccer team and women's cross country team each received at-large bids on November 14 to participate in the NCAA Championships.

The men's soccer squad was chosen as one of 48 teams to participate in the NCAA Tournament. One of 25 at-large teams and one of seven BIG EAST Conference teams selected, the Friars will play a first-round game at Hofstra University on Friday, November 18, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. Making its second appearance all-time in the NCAA Tournament, the men's soccer team last played in the NCAAs in 1983. The winner of the PC-Hofstra game will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., to play the tournament's No. 4 seed, the University of North Carolina, on Tuesday, November 22.

This season, the Friars have posted a 6-3-9 mark and have recorded one of the most improved records in NCAA history. They are 9.5 games better than last season, when they finished with a 0-16-0 record. This season's improvement tied them for the 10th best turnaround in NCAA men's soccer history.  PC is 0-3-7 this season against teams in the NCAA Tournament. All three of the Friars' losses were to teams that earned a berth in the field of 48. 

The College's women's cross country team received an at-large bid to participate in the NCAA Championship on Monday, November 21, in Terre Haute, Ind. They will be appearing in their 17th consecutive NCAA title meet. PC has finished in third place in the NCAA Championship each of the past two years.

The nationally 13th-ranked Friars finished third at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship on Saturday, November 12. Senior All-American Fiona Crombie (Christchurch, New Zealand) captured the individual title in a time of 20:27.

Although the men's cross country team did not qualify, three team members will be participating in the NCAA Championship on November 21 in Indiana. Senior Martin Fagan (Mullingar, Ireland) and sophomores Max Smith (Dunedin, New Zealand) and Ahmed Haji (West Hartford, Conn.) all qualified based on their individual performances at the NCAA Northeast Regionals. The trio finished in the top eight. PC, ranked 30th in the nation going into the regionals, placed third as a team. 

For more information, please visit www.friars.com.

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