PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American will be represented by four teams in the 2015 NCAA Women's College Cup, as announced by the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee. Cincinnati received an automatic bid after winning the American Athletic Conference Championship in Dallas on Sunday (Nov. 8), in a title game that was decided by penalty kicks against USF. Three other teams from The American are set to host first round games.
Cincinnati (13-5-5) will face Virginia Tech, the No 4. seed, on Saturday Nov. 14 in the first round of the tournament. The Bearcats will travel to Thompson Field in Blacksburg, Va. to take on the Hokies at 7 p.m. Virginia Tech placed fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, and has an overall record of 14-3-2. The Hokies have posted a 7-1-2 mark at home this year. The winner will move on to the second round, and will face either Ohio State or Butler.
The 2015 American Athletic Conference champion was determined by penalty kicks, after Cincinnati and USF played to a 1-1 draw in double overtime. The Bearcats prevailed 4-2 in PKs to claim the title and become the conference’s automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament. The team makes its first tournament appearance since 2002.
UCF (12-6-1) earned an at-large bid and will host William and Mary (14-4-2) in the Knights’ ninth-straight and 20th overall appearance in the NCAA tournament. UCF has a 4-1 edge in the all-time series against the Tribe. Saturday’s 7 p.m. matchup at the UCF Soccer Complex will mark the teams’ first meeting since 1987. If the Knights defeat William and Mary they will move on to the second round to play the winner of Western Michigan and No. 2 seed Florida.
The Knights have advanced to the second round in seven of its last eight NCAA tournament appearances. UCF defeated Georgia and Wisconsin in last year’s first and second rounds to reach the Sweet 16 for the second time in four years. The Knights dropped a 1-0 decision against the eventual 2014 national champion, Florida State.
UConn, the 2015 American Athletic Conference regular season champion, will make its 30th appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Huskies are set to host Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) champion Siena on Sunday, Nov. 15 at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium. The winner of the first-round match will travel to South Bend, Ind. to take on the winner of Oakland versus the No. 3 seed Notre Dame.
Last season the Huskies, the 2014 American Athletic Conference tournament champions, made it to the second round of the tournament before falling to Penn State, 1-0. UConn beat New Hampshire, 2-0 in the first round, played in Storrs, Conn.
Siena beat Manhattan 5-2 this weekend to earn the MAAC title and an automatic bid to the tournament. This will be just the second time the Saints have made an appearance in the NCAA tournament, after earning the program’s first bid in 2010.
USF (15-3-3) has earned its second-consecutive and third overall bid to the NCAA tournament, and will host Atlantic Sun champion, Florida Gulf Coast (FGCU). The teams will face off on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Corbett Stadium. The all-time series between the teams is split 1-1-0, with the Bulls taking a 1-0 victory in their last meeting in 2014. FGCU claimed a 2-1 win in the teams’ first match in 2013. The winner will go on to play the victor of the first round match between James Madison and No. 3 Duke.
The Bulls fell to Illinois State, 3-2 at Corbett Stadium in the first round of the 2014 tournament. This season USF is undefeated at home, posting a 6-0-1 record and outscoring opponents 18-2 at Corbett Stadium. The Bulls, who earned second-place in the 2015 American Athletic Conference championship, have tied the record for most wins in program history.
The NCAA championship first-round games will be played at 32 campus sites from November 13- 15. Second-round and third-round games are set for Friday, November 20 and Sunday, November 22, at campus sites. The quarterfinal round will also be played on campus sites, on November 27 or 28.
The 34th annual NCAA Women’s College Cup will be played December 4 and 6 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. The semifinal and final rounds of the tournament will be co-hosted by Campbell University and the Town of Cary.