Local colleges begin postseason play in NCAA Div. III

Three local teams begin play in the NCAA Division III soccer tournament on Saturday while three high school teams play state soccer tournament quarterfinal games and unbeaten UConn, the top-ranked team in the country, plays its first game in the NCAA Division I field hockey tournament.

For the first time, Connecticut College's men's and women's soccer teams will compete in the national tournament at the same time. The Conn men (9-3-4) play Rochester (11-3-3) in the first round at SUNY Oneonta (N.Y.) at 1:30 p.m. The Conn women (12-3-1) open play against Wilkes (13-3-3) in the first round at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, also at 1:30.

And Mitchell College will make its first appearance in the Division III men's tourney when the Mariners (9-8-1) face unbeaten St. Joseph's of Maine (18-0-2) at 1 p.m. at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. Not only is St. Joe's unbeaten, it hasn't allowed a goal.

The second round at all three sites will be on Sunday.

In high school soccer, all three local teams will be home for their quarterfinal games, including defending Class S girls' champion Old Lyme. The top-seeded Wildcats will play No. 9 Coventry at 11:30 a.m., while No. 20 East Lyme plays No. 21 E.O. Smith in a Class L girls' quarterfinal at 4 p.m. and No. 3 Stonington hosts No. 6 Ellington in a Class M boys' quarterfinal at noon.

The UConn field hockey team (19-0) hosts Boston University at 11:30 a.m. in the second round (the Huskies received a first-round bye). Should UConn advance to Sunday's quarterfinals, the Huskies will play for a trip to the Final Four at 2 p.m. against the winner of Saturday's second-round game between Delaware and Penn State.