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Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton College women's soccer team will participate in the 2009 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament, travelling to Chicago for the tournament's first round, hosted by University of Chicago. Wheaton opens the 2009 tournament on Friday having an appearance in the Division III Championship Match each of the previous three seasons.

The Thunder (15-4-1) will face Carleton (10-5-5) in a first round match of the tournament at about 1:30 PM on Friday. Friday's other First Round match at University of Chicago will feature the host Maroons of Chicago (14-3-1) entertaining Aurora University (16-5-0) at 11:00 AM. Friday's victors will play each other in a Second Round match on Saturday to determine who advances to the NCAA Sectional the following weekend

Wheaton heads into Friday's match against Carleton with a 15-4-1 record on the season, and two of the last three NCAA Division III Championships in women's soccer. Wheaton earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

This year's trip to the postseason is Wheaton's 13th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament. Wheaton is 32-8-3 (.779) all-time in the postseason, with five Final Four appearances and National Championships in 2004, 2006 and 2007, in addition to a runner-up finish in 2008. Wheaton's 77.9% tournament winning percentage is the highest of any current Division III member institution in the history of the Division III Women's Soccer Tournament and the program's 32 all-time tournament wins is the second highest among current Division III institutions.

Carleton is 10-5-5 on the year and received the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Friday's contest will be the sixth-ever meeting between Wheaton and Carleton in women's soccer Wheaton holds a 5-0-0 advantage in the all-time series, including a 2-1 victory against the Knights in the Sectional Final of the 2008 NCAA-III Tournament.

WETN radio coverage can be found here.