UM Soccer Advances To The NCAA Tourney For The First Time Ever
Nov. 12, 2001
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CORAL GABLES, Fla.-Ranked nationally throughout the fall for the first time in its four-year existence, the Miami Hurricane soccer team was rewarded with an at-large berth into the 2001 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament.
The 64-team field was announced on Monday afternoon. Head coach Jim Blankenship’s squad, 10-8-1 overall, will head to Percy Beard Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. for a first-time meeting with Georgia (12-5-1) in first round action on Friday.
The winner of the match between the Hurricanes and the Bulldogs will face either host Florida (17-3-1) or UCF (14-5) on Sunday afternoon.
Miami is one of sixteen teams making its first appearance in the tournament. Other squads include Auburn, Bucknell, Cal State Fullerton, the University of Denver, Eastern Illinois, Idaho State, Kansas, Loyola (Md.), Oakland (Mich.), Pepperdine, Sacred Heart, Southwest Texas State, Tennessee, Texas and Villanova.
The Big East Conference led all leagues with eight teams in the tournament. Seven clubs will represent the ACC and five each were named from the Pacific-10 Conference, the Southeastern Conference and the WCC. Twenty-eight conferences were granted automatic bids for the 2001 championship. The remaining 36 teams were selected at-large.
First and second-round matches will be played at campus sites this weekend. Third-round matches will be played on campus sites Nov. 23, 24 or 25 as will quarterfinal matches on Nov. 30, Dec. 1 or 2. The 20th annual NCAA Division I Women’s College Cup will be played Dec. 7 and 9 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
