Courtesy: Boston University Athletic Communications
NEWTON, Mass. - The Boston University women's soccer team (14-5-2) has learned its NCAA fate and will take on regional rival Connecticut (10-7-2) on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. on the campus of Boston College. The Terriers, who earned the America East's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament last Sunday, will be making their fifth-straight appearance and eighth overall.
This weekend's bracket will feature four Northeast rivals as Boston College, which drew a No. 2 seed in the tourney, will play host to BU, UConn and Harvard. The Terriers have faced all three teams this season with a win over the Crimson, 1-0, and losses to then-No. 16 Boston College, 1-0, and UConn, 1-0 in overtime. BU is 2-2 all-time against the Huskies, which includes a 1-0 overtime win in the 2005 NCAA tourney.
Having won 12 of their last 13 contests, including five straight, the Terriers earned a berth in the NCAA tourney after defeating Binghamton, 4-0, in the America East championship game on Sunday afternoon at Nickerson Field. Seniors Emily Pallotta and Farrell McClernon along with junior Shauna Kelleher and sophomore Brittany Heist were named to the AE All-Tournament Team, with McClernon picking up Most Outstanding Player honors. McClernon was also named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Women's Team of the Week for her efforts in the AE tourney with one goal and two assists.
The story of this season has been BU's diverse offensive lineup, which has produced a conference-best 43 goals. Thirteen different Terriers have scored and nine have tallied multiple goals. McClernon and sophomore Jessica Luscinski lead the team with 20 points apiece, and they are followed Pallotta with 19 goals on eight goals and three assists.
The senior class, which made history on Sunday becoming the first group to win three straight conference crowns, and 15-year head coach Nancy Feldman are no strangers to the NCAA Tournament. They have faced top-ranked opponents in each of the last three seasons, culminating with a showdown with then-defending national champion USC in 2008. The BU program has won two games in the tourney - a 1-0 overtime win against the Huskies in 2005 and a 1-0 victory over Holy Cross in 2000.
UConn is coming off a disappointing first-round appearance in the Big East tournament after falling to Villanova in penalty kicks, 4-1, after 110 minutes of deadlock soccer. Linda Ruutu, the team's leading goal scorer with eight tallies, was named to the All-Big East Second Team, while senior Brittany Taylor was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Kacey Richards was also honored as an All-Big East Third Team honoree.
The winner of the contest will face either host Boston College or Harvard in the second round on Sunday.
Tickets for the games can be purchased by calling the Boston College Ticket Office at 617-552-4622 or go to www.bceagles.com for information. Tickets can also be purchased prior to the games at the Newton Soccer Field. Admission for both Friday and Sunday games will be $3 for students/youths and $7 for general admission.