The No. 1 Salisbury University field hockey team earned an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament with a win over Wesley College in the Capital Athletic Conference championship on Saturday evening at Sea Gull Stadium.

With the win, the Gulls anxiously awaited the release of the 2011 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship bracket. Once revealed, Salisbury learned it would host second and third-round games of the tournament.

The bracket consists of 24 teams, eight of which received first-round byes. There will be 16 teams who compete on Wednesday, Nov. 9 to move on to the second round which will be hosted at four campus sites.

The Sea Gulls earned a first-round bye in the tournament and will be hosting the second and third rounds on Nov. 12 and 13, but must await the outcome of Montclair State University (18-2) and Rhodes College (11-6) on Nov. 9 to find out their first opponent.

Salisbury (17-1), which is seeded second in the bracket, will make its 18th consecutive championship appearance, the longest active streak in Division III field hockey, and 29th overall NCAA appearance.

Messiah College (14-3), which also received a first-round bye, will be making the trip to Salisbury to compete in the second round of regional action. Messiah, the seventh seed in the tournament, will take on the winner of Ursinus College (16-3) and Christopher Newport University (12-5).

The maroon and gold will play in their second-round match on Nov. 12. Playing times have yet to be determined for Saturday. Saturday's winners will meet on Sunday at Sea Gull Stadium for the right to advance to the national semifinals, played in Dudley, Mass., on Nov. 19.

To see the entire bracket, click here.