Nov. 14, 2005
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NCAA Championship Bracket
One of the five Big Ten teams that qualified for the 2005 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship will advance to the third round as Penn State earned a spot in the 16-team field with a pair of victories last weekend. This is the seventh time that the program has made it to the third round of the championship.
The Big Ten champion Nittany Lions will remain on their home turf to battle Texas A&M, the host school for 2005 Women's College Cup, on Saturday at 1 p.m. in University Park, Pa. Penn State shutout Bucknell, 5-0, in first round action Friday before handing West Virginia a 5-2 loss in Sunday's competition. The Aggies defeated Northwestern State (7-0) and Southern Methodist (4-2) to advance to the third round. Penn State remains unbeaten thus far with a 21-0-1 record and carries a 2-0 all-time record over Texas A&M, including a 3-0 win over the Aggies in the third round of the 2003 NCAA Championship.
Illinois and Michigan State were also awarded bids to the 2005 NCAA Championship and were victorious in the first round but saw their seasons end in second round action. The Fighting Illini, making their fifth NCAA appearance, claimed their ninth shutout of the season in a 1-0, double-overtime win against host school Florida in the first round, as senior Laura Redmond scored the game-winner in the 102nd minute of play. They advanced to the second round only to be handed a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat by No. 2 Florida State. The Illini finished the season with a 12-7-3 record.
Participating in only their second NCAA Championship, the Spartans downed Bowling Green 4-0 in South Bend, Ind., on Friday with freshman Kristi Timar scoring her first two career goals. They then suffered a 3-0 defeat to second-seeded Notre Dame on Sunday. Michigan State was held scoreless for only the second time this season and finished with a 12-6-5 overall record, the fifth straight season the Spartans posted double digit victories.
Purdue and Big Ten Tournament Champion Wisconsin were the only Big Ten teams to lose in the first round. The Boliermakers remained scoreless with Wisconsin-Milwaukee through regulation play and two overtime periods before losing 6-5 in penalty kicks while the Badgers dropped a 1-0 decision to Marquette. Purdue was competing it its third NCAA Championship and Wisconsin made its 14th and second-consecutive appearance.
Penn State and Wisconsin are the only Big Ten teams to have advanced to the College Cup. The Nittany Lions lost in the semifinals in 2002 to Connecticut, 2-1, and in 1999 to North Carolina, 2-0. Wisconsin advanced to the championship match in 1991 before falling to the Tar Heels, 3-1.
Saturday Nov. 19 -- Third Round
No. 1 Penn State vs. No. 4 Texas A&M University Park, Pa. 1:00 p.m.
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