Bracket in PDF
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The 2011 BIG EAST women’s soccer Championship field has been set as Louisville and West Virginia captured the regular-season division titles and No. 1 seeds in the 10-team league tournament.
Defending champion West Virginia (14-4-0, 10-1-0 BIG EAST) is making its 13th appearance in the BIG EAST tournament and looks to capture its third tournament crown. West Virginia will serve as the host for the semifinals and final of the tournament. West Virginia, the American Division No. 1 seed, is led by senior Blake Miller with 18 points and seven goals. WVU has won five in a row and 12 of its last 13. The Mountaineers earned a bye to the quarterfinals of the tournament and will host a contest on Oct. 30. The Mountaineers also won the event when they served as host in 2007.
Louisville (9-5-3, 7-1-2 BIG EAST) is making its sixth appearance in the BIG EAST Championship, but enters with its highest seed ever. Having won their first BIG EAST regular-season title, the Cardinals are the No. 1 seed in the National Division. Along with a season-best six-game winning streak, Louisville has won 11 of its last 12 games. The Cardinals are led by sophomore Christine Exeter who leads the team with 25 points and 11 goals. Louisville earned a bye to the quarterfinals of the tournament and will host a contest on Oct. 30.
Marquette (17-2-0, 10-1-0 BIG EAST) tied West Virginia for the American Division crown and claims a regular-season championship as well. It is the third straight league title for MU. The Golden Eagles' lone league loss came to the Mountaineers, giving Marquette the No. 2 seed in the American Division. The Golden Eagles have qualified for the BIG EAST Championship each season since joining the league in 2005. Marquette is ranked a program-best No. 5 in this week’s NSCAA poll and No. 10 according to Soccer America. Marquette earned a bye to the quarterfinals of the tournament and will host No. 3 seed Notre Dame on Oct. 30.
Georgetown (14-5-0, 8-3-0 BIG EAST) is in the midst of an unprecedented stretch of women’s soccer success. Having set a school-record with 15 wins last year, the Hoyas made a thrilling run to the quarterfinals of the 2010 NCAA Championship to cap a banner year. This year, the Hoyas set a regular-season wins mark (14) and finished in second place of the National Division and earned the No. 2 seed. Midfielder Ingrid Wells leads the team with 27 points and 11 assists. Georgetown earned a bye to the quarterfinals of the tournament and will host No. 3 seed Syracuse on Oct. 30.
Notre Dame (9-6-3, 6-3-2 BIG EAST) will be the No. 3 seed in the National Division and will be on the road at American Division No. 2 seed Marquette on Oct. 30. Led by offensive star Melissa Henderson (who has a league-leading 41 points and 17 goals) the Irish are looking for their first tournament title since 2009. The Irish are making their 16th appearance in the BIG EAST Championship and their 12th title. Notre Dame enters with its lowest seed in the Championship since 2002.
Syracuse (7-7-3, 6-5-0 BIG EAST) will be the No. 3 seed in the American Division and will be on the road at the National Division No. 2 seed Georgetown on Oct. 30 The Orange are making their first appearance in the BIG EAST Championship since 2005 and their fifth appearance overall.
Seton Hall (8-7-3, 4-6-1 BIG EAST) is the National Division No. 4 seed and will host American Division No. 5 seed St. John’s (9-8-1, 5-6-0 BIG EAST) on Oct. 27. The Pirates are making their first appearance in the BIG EAST Championship since 2006. St. John’s is making its first appearance in the BIG EAST Championship since 2009, when it advanced to the semifinals.
Providence (7-8-4, 5-6-0 BIG EAST) is the American Division No. 4 seed and will host National Division No. 5 seed Rutgers (8-7-3, 3-5-3 BIG EAST) on Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. ET. The Friars tied St. John’s with 15 points in the American Division, but earned the No. 4 seed following a 2-0 victory against the Red Storm earlier this year. Providence is making its first appearance in the BIG EAST Championship since 1994. The Friars won the league’s first tournament title in 1993. Rutgers makes its 14th appearance in the BIG EAST Championship.
Connecticut did not qualify for the BIG EAST Championship for the first time in tournament history (since 1993). This year's tournament is the first since 2005 in which both division winners enter with a league loss.
The 2011 BIG EAST women’s soccer championship will culminate in Morgantown, W.Va., as West Virginia University will serve as the site for the semifinals and title game of the tournament. The semifinals are set for Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET. Both will be carried nationally on the CBS Sports Network. The title game is set for Nov. 5 at noon and will be televised on CBS Sports Network, as well as numerous regional sports networks, including SNY. The game also will be streamed live online for free at www.bigeast.tv
American Division Seeds
No. 1 West Virginia
No. 2 Marquette
No. 3 Syracuse
No. 4 Providence
No. 5 St. John’s
American Division Seeds
No. 1 Louisville
No. 2 Georgetown
No. 3 Notre Dame
No. 4 Seton Hall
No. 5 Rutgers
OCTOBER
27 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP (First Round, Campus Sites)
American No. 5 (St. John’s) at National No. 4 (Seton Hall)
National No. 5 (Rutgers) at American No. 4 (Providence)
30 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP (Quarterfinals, Campus Sites)
Rutgers/Providence at National No. 1 (Louisville)
National 3 (Notre Dame) at American 2 (Marquette)
St. John’s/Seton Hall at American No. 1 (West Virginia)
No. 3 American (Syracuse) at No. 2 National (Georgetown)
NOVEMBER
4 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP (Semifinal 1, Morgantown, W.Va.)
CBS Sports Network – 3 p.m. ET
4 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP (Semifinal 2, Morgantown, W.Va.)
CBS Sports Network – 5:30 p.m.
6 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP (Title Game, Morgantown, W.Va.)
Noon – BETV/CBS Sports Network
