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The Rutgers women’s soccer team was selected for a ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament on Monday. The Scarlet Knights will take on Southeastern Louisiana in the First Round on Tuesday, April 27 in Buis Creek, North Carolina at 7 p.m. ET at Eakes Athletic Complex. The winner will take on Clemson (12-4-0), who are ranked no. 6 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll.
Rutgers are ranked no. 22 in that same poll and enter the NCAA’s with a record of 8-3-3. They finished in third place in Big Ten play with a record of 6-2-3. They lost to Wisconsin 2-1 in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals last week. The Scarlet Knights tied a program record with seven players earning All-Big Ten selections this season.
Southeastern Louisiana beat Sam Houston in the Southland Conference Tournament Championship to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. They have a record of 8-2-4 and haven't lost in its last eleven games (7-0-4).
“To continue the streak of nine straight bids for the program is remarkable. We have made it a standard at this program to continue to make the NCAA tournament and to continue this streak is incredible,” said senior captain Gabby Provenzano. “We are extremely excited and pumped up going into the tournament. Our mentality is to take it one game at a time focusing on preparing for Southeastern Louisiana. We can’t wait to get started and see what we are made of.”
Rutgers has now made the NCAA Tournament nine years in a row and eleven of the past thirteen seasons, as well as fifteen times in program history. The Scarlet Knights made the College Cup (Final Four) in 2015, advanced to the second round in 2016 and 2017, while having lost in the first round the past two appearances in 2018 and 2019.
This year’s NCAA Tournaments for both men’s and women’s soccer will be played in the state of North Carolina. Tournament games will be played at University of North Carolina, Campbell, East Carolina, University of North Carolina Wilmington, UNC Greensboro and Wake Forest. This year’s field will include 48 women’s teams.
Rutgers was one of four Big Ten teams to make the field, including Penn State, Iowa and Ohio State. Oddly, Wisconsin was left out of the field after losing in the Big Ten Tournament championship.
We will have full coverage, including a game preview, of Rutgers NCAA Tournament run beginning next week. For the entire NCAA Tournament bracket, click here.