The University of Florida soccer team (18-2-2, 9-1-1 SEC) plays host to NCAA First and Second Round action Friday, Nov. 12 and Sunday, Nov. 14. Action begins Friday at the James G. Pressly Stadium with Florida facing Mercer at 6 p.m. Duke versus California match follows at 8:30 p.m. Florida is a No. 2 seed for the 2010 NCAA Championship.
UF is one of 16 programs playing host to 2010 NCAA First and Second round action this weekend. The winners of Friday’s matches meet on Sunday, Nov. 14 for the NCAA Second Round. Second round action at the Gainesville site begins at 1 p.m.
The winner of Sunday’s match advances to the NCAA Round of 16, which will take place Nov. 19, 20 or 21. NCAA Quarterfinal action is the following weekend (Nov. 26, 27 or 28). The NCAA College Cup is set for Dec. 3 and 5 at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., with NC State, Town of Cary and Capital Area Soccer League acting as hosts for the event.
Friday’s meeting will be the second between Florida and Mercer and first since 1996.
Florida advanced to its 14th NCAA Championship with a 1-0 win over South Carolina in yesterday’s Southeastern Conference Tournament final in Orange Beach, Ala. As the tournament champion, Florida received one of the 30 automatic berths into the field of 64. In last year’s NCAA action, Florida reached the second round, falling in overtime 1-0 to Oregon State. Florida has played host to at least one round of NCAA Championship action 12 of the 14 seasons the team has received a NCAA berth.
Florida is 4-2-1 against teams in the 2010 tournament field. The Gators have registered wins at No. 2 seed Florida State (Sept. 10), at No. 4 seed UCF (Aug. 22) and posted a pair of wins versus South Carolina (Oct. 29 and Nov. 7). UF has losses versus No. 1 seed North Carolina (Sept. 19) and at Auburn (Oct. 10). Duke and Florida played to a tie on Sept. 17. Three SEC teams received bids – Florida, Auburn and South Carolina.
About the opponents:
Mercer (10-8-1, 7-3 Atlantic Sun) makes its first NCAA appearance in 2010. The Bears won the Atlantic Sun Tournament Championship with a 1-0 decision over Jacksonville to claim its first A-Sun Tournament title and take the league’s automatic NCAA berth. Senior Kacie Hudson, the younger sister of former Gator All-SEC performer and current UF team manager KeLeigh Hudson, leads the Bears with 13 points off of six goals and one assist.
California (9-5-5, 4-4-1 Pac 10) is making its 18th NCAA appearance and seventh consecutive. The Bears have played in the state of Florida for five of the past six NCAA Championships. In 2008, the Bears lost to then-No. 7-seed Florida in Gainesville. Cal traveled to Tallahassee for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament last season and in 2006, as well as the third round in 2005. Senior Alex Morgan, a member of the U.S. Senior National Team, leads the Golden Bears with 14 goals and 29 points.
Duke (10-7-3, 4-5-1 ACC) advances to its 17th overall and eighth consecutive NCAA Championship. In the Blue Devils’ last outing, they lost 1-0 to No. 1 seed Maryland in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Florida and Duke played to a 1-1 double overtime tie in the opening day of the Duke Nike Classic in Durham, N.C., on Sept. 17. Freshman Mollie Pathman leads the team with 21 points off of eight goals and five assists.
NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
(1) NORTH CAROLINA
At Chapel Hill, N.C. / Fetzer Field
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: (1) North Carolina (17-2-2) vs. Jackson State (13-6-1), 5 p.m.
Match 2: Texas (11-5-4) vs. James Madison (14-6-1), 7:30 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 1 p.m.
(4) NOTRE DAME
At South Bend, Ind. / Alumni Stadium
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: Illinois (13-4-1) vs. Southern California (12-5-3), 5 p.m.
Match 2: (4) Notre Dame (15-2-2) vs. New Mexico (12-2-5), 7:30 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 1 p.m.
(3) OKLAHOMA STATE
At Stillwater, Okla. / Cowgirl Soccer Complex
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: Memphis (15-3-3) vs. Oregon State (15-3-1), 6 p.m.
Match 2: (3) Oklahoma State (17-3-2) vs. Michigan (10-4-4), 8:30 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 2 p.m.
(2) FLORIDA
At Gainesville, Fla. / James G. Pressly Stadium
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: (2) Florida (18-2-2) vs. Mercer (10-8-1), 6 p.m.
Match 2: California (9-5-5) vs. Duke (10-7-3), 8:30 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 1 p.m.
(2) VIRGINIA
At Charlottesville, Va. / Klockner Stadium
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: (2) Virginia (13-4-2) vs. Lehigh (11-4-4), 5 p.m.
Match 2: UNC Greensboro (19-1-1) vs. South Carolina (14-5-4), 7:30 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 2 p.m.
(3) OHIO STATE
At Columbus, Ohio / Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: (3) Ohio State (14-4-1) vs. St. Francis, Pa. (15-4-2), 5 p.m.
Match 2: Dayton (18-3) vs. Virginia Tech (10-9-1), 8 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 1 p.m.
(4) TEXAS A&M
At Minneapolis, Minn. / Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: (4) Texas A&M (15-4-2) vs. North Dakota State (12-5-5), 4 p.m.
Match 2: Minnesota (12-5-3) vs. Creighton (15-3-2), 7 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 2 p.m.
(1) MARYLAND
At College Park, Md. / Ludwig Field
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: (1) Maryland (17-2-2) vs. High Point (11-10-1), 5 p.m.
Match 2: Siena (17-3-1) vs. Georgetown (13-6-1), 8 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 1 p.m.
(1) PORTLAND
At Portland, Ore. / Merlo Field at Clive Charles Soccer Complex
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: Washington (11-8-1) vs. Oklahoma (12-7-3), 7:30 p.m.
Match 2: (1) Portland (18-1-1) vs. UT-San Antonio (13-7-2), 10:30 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 4 p.m.
(4) WAKE FOREST
At Irvine, Calif. / Anteater Stadium
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: (4) Wake Forest (12-7-3) vs. San Diego (11-7-2), 8 p.m.
Match 2: UC Irvine (17-2-2) vs. Arizona State (9-7-3), 10:30 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 8 p.m.
(3) WEST VIRGINIA
At Morgantown, W.Va. / Dick Diesk Soccer Stadium
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: Penn State (10-8-1) vs. Penn (9-6-2), 3:30 p.m.
Match 2: (3) West Virginia (16-4-1) vs. Morehead State (13-6-1), 6 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 1 p.m.
(2) BOSTON COLLEGE
At Newton, Mass. / Newton Soccer Field
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: (2) Boston College (13-6-1) vs. Boston University (16-5), 4 p.m.
Match 2: Connecticut (10-9-3) vs. Hofstra (18-2), 7 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 1 p.m.
(2) FLORIDA STATE
At Tallahassee, Fla. / Seminole Soccer Complex
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: (2) Florida State (13-5-1) vs. Middle Tennessee State (13-8-2), 4:30 p.m.
Match 2: Auburn (11-7-2) vs. South Florida (13-5-2), 7 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 1 p.m.
(3) MARQUETTE
At Milwaukee, Wis. / Valley Fields
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: Wisconsin (10-4-4) vs. UW-Milwaukee (12-6-2), 6 p.m.
Match 2: (3) Marquette (15-4-2) vs. Central Michigan (16-4-1), 8:30 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 2 p.m.
(4) UCF
At Los Angeles / Drake Stadium
Thursday / Nov. 11
Match 1: UCLA (12-7-1) vs. Brigham Young (16-3-2), 8:30 p.m.
Match 2: (4) UCF (14-4-3) vs. Fresno State (9-8-5), 11 p.m.
Saturday / Nov. 13
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 10 p.m.
(1) STANFORD
At Stanford, Calif. / Laird Q. Cagan Stadium
Friday / Nov. 12
Match 1: Santa Clara (12-6-2) vs. Long Beach State (14-5-2), 7:30 p.m.
Match 2: (1) Stanford (18-0-2) vs. Sacramento State (9-9-1), 10 p.m.
Sunday / Nov. 14
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 4 p.m.
THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE CUP
At WakeMed Soccer Park / Cary, N.C.
Friday / Dec. 3 semifinals
Maryland quadrant winner vs. North Carolina quadrant winner, 4 or 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU/ESPN2)
Stanford quadrant winner vs. Portland quadrant winner, 4 or 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU/ESPN2)
Sunday / Dec. 5 championship
Semifinal winners, 12 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN3.com)