We say hello, or Hau in Dakota, to league play with a new structure in place for the women. If non-conference records determined post-season seeding, the following would be the match-ups:
This year, all the schools will play one another, but their results will count towards two distinct standings tables. Pod members will play each other home and away and each school from the opposite pod once.
Pod A [North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State] is essentially Summit North, and Pod B [Oral Roberts, Omaha, Kansas City, St Thomas] is essentially Summit South.
The postseason (Championship) will be a six-team, single-elimination tournament held over two weekends. The top three teams in each pod will automatically qualify, with each pod's runner-up hosting the quarterfinals against the opposite pod's third-place team.
The higher overall regular-season point-total winner and designated No. 1 overall seed will host the semifinals and championship.
For what it's worth, there is no change to the structure of the men's season.
Scoreboard
Pod A
North Dakota 4-0 North Dakota State
South Dakota 0-0 South Dakota State
North Dakota State 2-1 South Dakota
South Dakota State 2-1 North Dakota
Pod B
Omaha 3-2 St Thomas
Kansas City 1-1 Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts 2-0 Omaha
St Thomas 0-1 Kansas City
Men's Non-Conference
Delaware 6-1 George Washington
Massachusetts 1-2 Farleigh Dickinson
Belmont 3-0 St Thomas
Men's Conference Play - Saturday 26th September
Omaha 3-3 Delaware
Kansas City 3-1 Oral Roberts
Standings (W-L-D)
Pod A
Pod B
Fixtures
Pod B
Friday October 2nd - Oral Roberts v St Thomas
Saturday October 3rd - Omaha v Kansas City
Pod A
Saturday October 3rd - North Dakota State v South Dakota State
Sunday October 4th - North Dakota v South Dakota
Men's
St Thomas v Kansas City
Oral Roberts v Massachusetts
Omaha v Nebraska Wesleyan
Western Michigan v St Thomas
Cornell v Massachusetts
