St. Clair County Community College has been awarded a two-year bid to host the first round of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Men’s and Women’s Soccer National Championships Oct. 29-30, 2022, and Oct. 27-28, 2023, at the Skippers Soccer Field in Marysville, Mich.
This Region 12 event will bring eight teams from throughout Michigan, Ohio and Indiana to the Blue Water Area. The teams will be playing for an opportunity to advance in the tournament, which concludes with the NJCAA National Championship in Tucson, Ariz., the week of Nov. 14-19.
The Skippers Soccer Field, a collegiate synthetic turf surface spanning 75 yards wide by 120 yards long, played a large role in securing the bid as a host site. Another key factor was the outstanding support from the local communities that SC4 has received in successfully hosting other NJCAA tournaments in volleyball, basketball, softball and wrestling, including the 2022 NJCAA National Championship in women’s basketball.
SC4 is excited to bring high-caliber collegiate soccer to the Blue Water Area and is committed to providing all teams, as well as fans in attendance, with a memorable experience.
“We are thrilled to welcome more NJCAA championships to our campus and community. We look forward to showcasing the SC4 Skippers Soccer Field as well as our many great restaurants, hotels, businesses and activities,” said Dale Vos, SC4 director of athletics. “I encourage area residents to come watch some exciting collegiate-level soccer competition.”
The eight tournament qualifiers and match schedule will be announced by Region 12 of the NJCAA on Oct. 23. Both the women’s and men’s semi-finals will be played Fri. Oct. 29, with the finals held on Sat. Oct. 30. All matches will be played at the Skipper Soccer Field located at 560 Busha Highway in Marysville, Mich. Ticket information will follow once the tournament details are set.
This new soccer event will make a substantial positive impact to the local community, bringing visitors to the area and filling hotels and restaurants. For example, the 16 teams competing at the NJCAA Women’s Basketball Championship last March accounted for more than 1,200 hotel room nights during the week of the event, a major positive boost to the local economy. The women’s basketball National Championship will return to the SC4 Fieldhouse March 21-25, 2023.
“The city of Marysville is happy to welcome soccer teams for the NJCAA tournament,” said Marysville City Manager Randy Fernandez. “We are proud to be the home of one of the finest soccer fields in the state through our collaboration with the college. This tournament provides a great opportunity to bring people to our area and showcase SC4, the city of Marysville and the region as a whole.”
SC4 announced women’s soccer as a new offering in the fall of 2019; however, the team’s first season was delayed until the spring of 2021 due to the pandemic. The Skippers are working hard to qualify for the NJCAA tournament and will open their 2022 regular season at home on Wed., Aug. 24, at 5 p.m. vs. Rochester University. A full schedule of Skippers games is available at sc4skippers.com/sports/wsoc/2022-23/schedule.
