PEMBROKE – Just more than 24 hours removed from winning the program's first-ever Conference Carolinas Tournament title, the UNC Pembroke soccer team has earned its fifth berth into the NCAA Tournament as well. 
 
The fifth-seeded Braves (15-2-1) will battle 18^th-ranked and fourth-seeded Flagler (15-2-1) on Friday at 3 p.m. in the opening-round of action at Cougar Field in Columbus, Ga. The winner of that contest between the two former Peach Belt Conference rivals will face the winner of top-seeded and seventh-ranked Columbus State (18-2-1) and eighth-seeded Mount Olive (15-1-2).
 
Thursday or Friday's first-round matchup will mark UNCP's fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, but the first for the club since 2019. The Braves made previous trips to the NCAA's biggest stage in 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2019, and will lug a 2-4-0 clip into Thursday's matchup in Columbus. Game dates and times will be announced by the NCAA on Tuesday.
 
The Black & Gold are appearing in the NCAA postseason for the first time as an automatic bid after capturing the Conference Carolinas Tournament crown with a 3-0 victory over Mount Olive on Sunday.
 
Flagler will ride a seven-game series unbeaten streak into the contest with UNCP, and has been victorious in each of the last four matchups with the Braves as well. The squads have never battled one another at a neutral site.