Each of the top eight seeds advanced to the third round of the Division I Women's Soccer Championship, with relative ease, but there were a few surprising second round results on Nov. 15 as a quartet of No. 3 and No. 4 seeds were ousted.

Four unseeded teams - Wisconsin, Virginia, Oregon State and Texas A&M - extended their season for one more week with upsets of No. 3 UCF, No. 4 Penn State, No. 3 Florida and No. 4 LSU, respectively.

Wisconsin's Roxanne Carlson came off the bench to score her first career goal against the UCF Knights as the Badgers moved on to the Round of 16 for the first time since 1993.  The Badgers outshot the Knights 19-6 as they extended their unbeaten streak to nine games (5-0-4) - the program's longest since 1996.  Wisconsin is the lone remaining Big Ten squad in the NCAA Tournament field, and will now face No. 2 Boston College on Nov. 20.

Oregon State is making its first-ever appearance in the third round of the NCAA Tournament following a 1-0 upset of Florida in Columbus, Ohio.  Melinda Ingalls netted the contest's only goal in overtime.  The Beavers, who were one of eight Pac-10 squads selected to the 64-team bracket, join top-seeded Stanford and UCLA as the league's three surviving teams.  OSU now travels to No. 2 Notre Dame on Nov. 20 to face last year's NCAA runner-up. 

In just one of two first and second round contests to be decided by penalty kicks last weekend, Texas A&M topped LSU, 4-2, after a 1-1 deadlock following regulation and overtime.  Junior goalkeeper Kelly Dyer made a key save on LSU All-American Malorie Rutledge's penalty kick attempt, helping send the Aggies to the Round of 16 for the 10^th time in program history.  The Aggies will meet No. 1 seeded Florida State on Nov. 20 as they continue their quest of advancing to the NCAA Women's College Cup, which will be held on their home field in College Station, Texas.

In probably the biggest comeback of the NCAA Tournament so far, Virginia rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit, netting six unanswered goals in a 20-minute stretch to notch a 6-2 win over fourth-seeded Penn State as the Cavaliers advanced to the Round of 16 for the fifth straight year.  The victory was the first for Virginia when trailing by two goals since a 4-3 win over Duke in 2000.  The Cavaliers are one of seven Atlantic Coast Conference teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament.  Virginia will travel to top-seeded UCLA on Nov. 20 for a third round contest.

The four top seeds -- Stanford, UCLA, North Carolina and Florida State -- cruised through the first two rounds of play as advertised, combining to allow just two goals in eight games.  Can the higher-seeded teams continue their success as the competition gets stiffer?  We'll find out soon as seven of the eight third round contests are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 20, while ACC foes North Carolina and Maryland will battle on Nov. 21.

Check out if you're team is still in contention for the national title on the Interactive Bracket:

http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/2009/ncaa_bracket_DI_soccer_women.html

It's no secret that Florida State has been one of the toughest teams in women's soccer over the past several seasons, but now the Seminoles have climbed one step higher on the national scene as they were selected as one of four No. 1 national seeds for the first time in school history.

The Seminoles' success this can be attributed to many factors, but the productive combination of forwards Tiffany McCarty and Jessica Price has served as an integral part of the team's winning equation.

McCarty and Price are responsible for 72 (28 goals, 16 assists) of FSU's 176 total points this year, accounting for more than 40 percent of the team's scoring.  McCarty, a sophomore from Laurel, Md., leads the Atlantic Coast Conference with 1.81 points per game, while Price, a redshirt sophomore from Libertyville, Ill., follows with 1.62 points per game.  

One of the pair has recorded a point in 15 of 21 games this season, and in eight games both players have netted a goal.  Seven times this year, McCarty and Price have combined to score a goal.  McCarty has assisted on a Price goal five times, while Price has found McCarty twice.

Read more here: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/111209aaa.html

So, after digesting the Division I Women's Soccer Championship bracket for the last couple days, there will some interesting match-ups in the first round of play on Nov. 13.  Will there be any upsets?  Will the top seeds roll?  Who will prevail when the 64-team field gets cut in half on Friday? 

I picked four of my favorite match-ups to take a closer look at:

No. 3 seed UCF vs. Milwaukee

Madison, Wis., 6 p.m. ET

Two of the hottest teams in the nation will square off when UCF and Milwaukee tangle on Friday.  UCF, holding a No. 3 national seed, won 10 straight games before suffering a 3-0 loss to Memphis in the Conference USA championship game.  The Knights are making their 14^th overall and third consecutive NCAA appearance after putting together a 16-4-1 records against one of the toughest schedules in the nation.  The four losses and tie came against opponents that made the NCAA Tournament field (LSU, North Carolina, South Carolina, Memphis - 2 times).

UW-Milwaukee rolls into the contest versus UCF on a 10-game winning streak after posting a perfect 8-0-0 record in the Horizon League and claiming the tournament title last weekend.  The Panthers (12-5-3) are making their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance, but are searching for their first postseason win.  They have compiled an 0-6-2 record in postseason play, although advancing to the second round on penalty kicks in 2005 and 2006.  Sophomore Sarah Hagen paces the nation with 24 goals, and has contributed a point in a school-record 12 consecutive contests.

Marquette vs. Dayton

Dayton, Ohio, 8 p.m. ET

The Golden Eagles will fly into Ohio on a mission to be the first team to defeat Dayton this season.  Marquette (15-5-2) won the BIG EAST American Division title, and was riding a seven-game unbeaten streak before Notre Dame handed them a 2-1 setback in the title game of the BIG EAST Tournament.  The Golden Eagles are making their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance, and second straight.   Sophomore goalkeeper Natalie Kulla boasts a program-record 15 shutouts and a 0.53 goals against average.

The Flyers enter the NCAA Tournament with the longest current unbeaten streak in the nation at 21 games (16-0-5), and are fresh off winning the Atlantic-10 Championship against Charlotte last weekend.  Dayton is playing in the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2004.

UNC-Wilmington vs. Georgia

Chapel Hill, N.C., 7:30 p.m. ET

Georgia (14-5-1) has advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year for the first time in school history after putting together a winning record (7-4) against Southeastern Conference competition for the third consecutive year for the first time in program history.  The Bulldogs have lost three of their last five games, albeit to a trio of SEC teams - Florida, Auburn and South Carolina - that are also NCAA Tournament participants.

The Seahawks have made history this season after tying a program record with 13 victories, and capturing the Colonial Athletic Association Championship to earn their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.  UNC-Wilmington is riding a five-game winning streak entering the contest between the two first-time opponents.

Central Michigan vs. Purdue

South Bend, Ind., 5 p.m.

Central Michigan enters its first NCAA Tournament on a 17-match unbeaten streak (14-0-3) thanks to a stellar defense that leads the nation with 18 shutouts.  The Chippewas (16-3-3) posted shutouts in all three of their Mid-American Conference Tournament contests to claim the crown.

The Boilermakers (12-5-3) are making their fourth postseason appearance in last five after finishing fourth in the Big Ten standings.  Purdue is led by the winningest senior class in school history (.711 winning percentage), and will challenge CMU's defense with an attack that led the conference in goals scored.  However, Purdue has fallen by shutout in two of its last five games - both losses coming to league foes that have qualified for the NCAA Tournament - Ohio State and Penn State.

Find which match-up intrigues YOU the most by checking out the NCAA.com interactive bracket or play the NCAA.com Bracket Challenge and try to pick the winner of the 2009 NCAA Women's College Cup.

Interactive Bracket:

http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/2009/ncaa_bracket_DI_soccer_women.html

NCAA.com Bracket Challenge:

http://www.ncaa.com/games

It was a rocky beginning for Notre Dame this year, but the Irish rebounded from the uncharacteristic start to be once again considered one of the top teams in the nation this season.

The Irish suffered a stretch in September that included three shutout losses in four games, albeit to perennial powers North Carolina, Stanford and Santa Clara. 

At the time, Notre Dame was also working through some key injuries, losing senior midfielders Courtney Rosen and Micaela Alvarez for the season, while senior forward Michele Weissenhofer was sidelined for an extended period of time with a hamstring injury.

"I think early on we played a couple games and we got through it, but then all of a sudden you jump in and play the type of caliber teams that we were playing, we really struggled offensively," said head coach Randy Waldrum.  "The main thing we struggled with was getting anybody upfront that could really hold the ball for us long enough for us to make some kind of counter or build-up in our attack.  That's where we got exposed a lot early."

"It turned our world upside down because we're used to winning games and having those high standards," said junior Lauren Fowlkes.  "At the time it was really hard, but it was definitely beneficial for the team."

Read more here: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/110509aab.html

Here is a list of the 30 Division I conferences that will have their champions automatically qualify for the NCAA Tournament.  Also listed are the dates which each conference should crown its champion.

America East Conference - Boston U.

Atlantic Coast Conference - North Carolina

Atlantic Sun Conference - Kennesaw State

Atlantic 10 Conference - Dayton

Big East Conference - Notre Dame

Big Sky Conference - Northern Arizona

Big South Conference - High Point

Big Ten Conference - Penn State

Big 12 Conference - Oklahoma State

Big West Conference - UC Santa Batbara

Colonial Athletic Association - UNC-Wilmington

Conference USA - Memphis

Horizon League - Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Ivy Group - Harvard

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference - Loyola University (Md.)

Mid-American Conference - Central Michigan

Missouri Valley Conference - Illinois State

Mountain West Conference - San Diego State

Northeast Conference - Monmouth

Ohio Valley Conference - Murray State

Pacific-10 Conference - Stanford

Southeastern Conference - South Carolina

Southern Conference - Davidson

Southland Conference - Southeastern Louisiana

Southwestern Athletic Conference - Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Sun Belt Conference - Denver

The Patriot League - Colgate

The Summit League - IUPUI

West Coast Conference - Portland

Western Athletic Conference - Boise State

The pace is beginning to pick for me and all of the national committee members as we prepare for selection weekend for the 2009 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship.  Our committee has been busy since September working with our respective regional committees to rank the top 10 teams in each region. 

We have been meeting by teleconference every two weeks to update each other on how things are shaping up in the various regions - expanded this year to 8 as compared to six in previous years.  The Pacific, South and Southeast regions have all looked very strong so far.  It will be interesting to see any possible changes when we hold our last national committee call on November 5 before reporting to Indianapolis for selection weekend on November 7. 

This time of year, conference tournaments play a major role in the selection process.  With 64 bids to the women's championship available and 30 of those being held for automatic qualifying conferences, that leaves only 34 "at-large" bids.  Bubble teams across the country will all be rooting for league favorites in these tournaments to maximize the number of at-large berths.  Upsets in conference tournaments often decrease the number of available at-large berths when a team that would probably not have received a tournament bid wins their respective conference tournament and the accompanying automatic bid.   Those same bubble teams can also use their conference tournament to improve their profile.  Just last year, Penn State winning the Big Ten Tournament and Missouri winning the Big 12 Tournament had a positive impact on their selection and seeding.

When the committee does get behind closed doors in Indianapolis, the selection and seeding of teams for the championship will be driven by three primary criteria.  The first is the team's RPI - which consists of their winning percentage and their strength of schedule, the second is their head-to-head results against other teams being considered for selection, and third is a comparison with other teams under consideration of their results against common opponents.   The hardest call for the committee is in comparing teams with very similar profiles, but no head-to-head results and no common opponents.  That is when we often have to turn to our secondary selection/seeding criteria which includes results against teams already selected for the tournament and late season performance (last 8 games). 

We're looking forward to an exciting week of women's soccer as the NCAA Championship field begins taking shape, and the committee gets ready for the unveiling of the 64-team bracket on Monday, November 9 (8 p.m. ET, ESPNews). 

Paul Bradshaw

Division I Women's Soccer Championship Committee Chair

Baylor Associate AD / Internal Affairs

We are heading to the last week of Division I women's soccer action before NCAA Championship selections are announced on Monday, Nov. 9, as the national landscape should become a little clearer as regular season play and conference tournaments come to a close.

Top-ranked Stanford clinched at least a share of its first Pac-10 title since 2002, securing the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament as the Cardinal swept through Arizona State and Arizona last weekend.  Senior Kelley O'Hara tied the school's single-season goal record of 20, while breaking the program's single-season point mark of 49 in a 4-0 win versus Arizona on Nov. 1.

Stanford can claim the outright league title with a draw against California on Nov. 8, or a UCLA draw or loss in the Bruins' two final regular season contests.

After nipping then-No. 14 Santa Clara 1-0 last weekend, second-ranked Portland will enter its final regular season match against San Diego on a 10-game winning streak.  If the Pilots defeat USD, they will secure the program's league-best 11th West Coast Conference title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  The game will be televised live on ESPNU on Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. PT.

The BIG EAST championship field was narrowed down to four teams over the weekend, and will continue with the semifinals on Nov. 6 at the University of Connecticut.  Marquette will square off against West Virginia in the first match set for 5 p.m. ET, while Notre Dame and St. John's will meet in the second match set for approximately 7:30 p.m. ET.  The games will be broadcast live on CBS College Sports.  Notre Dame blanked USF, 5-0, to advance to the semifinals as the Irish stretched their unbeaten streak to 13 games (12-0-1).  They are in search of their 11^th BIG EAST tournament title.

No. 8 Central Florida won its ninth straight game with a 4-0 victory over Southern Miss on Oct. 30 to claim their first outright Conference USA regular season title.

Florida State and Boston College finished in a tie for first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings as both programs won their first-ever league regular season titles.  The Seminoles were awarded the top seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament by virtue of a head-to-head win over the Eagles earlier this year.

Florida earned its fourth straight Southeastern Conference regular season title after a 3-0 win against No. 13 South Carolina as the Gators collected their 10^th championship in the 15-year program history.  The SEC Tournament runs Nov. 4-8, and all matches leading up to the championship game will be streamed live on SECSports.com and can be viewed free of charge.  The championship match will be aired on ESPNU on Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. ET.

Ohio State and Penn State will both be vying to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title as they enter the final weekend with identical 7-1-1 league records.  The Buckeyes are looking for their first regular season title in program history as they head to Michigan State on Nov. 6, while Penn State goes for its 12^th straight Big Ten championship at Michigan on Nov. 8. 

Tournament Two-Step

·         Loyola University Maryland claimed the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title with a 3-2 victory over Niagara on Nov. 2 to become the first automatic qualifier for the NCAA College Cup this season.  The Greyhounds came back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to win the game as they stretched their unbeaten streak to 14 games (12-0-2).

·         Northeastern earned its first regular season Colonial Athletic Association title with a 4-0 victory over Hofstra on Oct. 31, earning the top seed in the league tournament beginning Nov. 6.  The Huskies are the reigning CAA Tournament champions after edging Hofstra, 1-0, in double-overtime last year.

·         Boston University and Binghamton will meet for the America East title on Nov. 7 with an NCAA Tournament bid up for grabs.  The Terriers are looking for their third consecutive league title, while Binghamton is in the championship game for the first time since 2004. Free live video streaming will be available at the new AmericaEast.tv.

·         The No. 8 seed in the Big 12 Championship is still in contention due to a three-way tie in the standings.  Kansas and Texas Tech will meet in a play-in game on Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. CT to decide who will meet top-seeded Missouri in a quarterfinal match-up on Nov. 4.

·         Dayton completed its first-ever unbeaten season (14-0-5) with a school-record 14 shutouts to earn its first regular season Atlantic 10 title since 2004 and a bye in the first round of the tournament. 

·         BYU will host the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Nov. 4-7 after clinching its sixth regular season title with a 6-0-1 against league foes this season.  The Cougars earned a bye to the semifinals on Nov. 5.

·         Texas State is the top-seeded team in the Southland Conference Tournament for the second straight year.  The Bobcats have not lost a regular season league contest since 2007.  They will play the winner of Sam Houston State and UTSA on Nov. 6.

Portland women's soccer player Danielle Foxhoven (photo by Will Crew) takes her job seriously and she does it well.

Her "job" of scoring goals - actually lots of goals -- has helped the second-ranked Pilots compile a 16-1-0 overall record and flawless mark against West Coast Conference opponents.  It has also garnered Foxhoven a lot of attention in the women's soccer community as she has earned three National Player of the Week awards and four WCC weekly honors. 

The sophomore from Littleton, Colo., leads the nation with 1.313 goals and 3.13 points per game after netting six tallies and dishing out two assists in a pair of victories over Saint Mary's and San Francisco last week.  With four goals against USF, she became the first Portland player to ever score four goals in a game twice in one season.

Read more about Foxhoven and the Pilots here:  

http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/102909aaa.html

It may feel like the soccer season just started, but some conferences are already gearing up for tournament time as the BIG EAST, America East Conference, Mid-American Conference, Atlantic Sun Conference, Horizon League and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship tournaments all get underway this week.

Notre Dame and Marquette are the No. 1 seeds in their respective BIG EAST divisions, receiving byes until the quarterfinals on Nov. 1.  First round action begins Oct. 29.  The University of Connecticut will host the championship round on Nov. 6-8, and the semifinals will be televised live on CBS College Sports at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 6.

Boston University earned a bye after claiming its second straight regular season America East title, and will be seeking its third straight tournament championship.  The Terriers will host the winner of Albany-Stony Brook in semifinal action on Nov. 1.

In the MAC, Central Michigan wraps up regular season play at Eastern Michigan on Oct. 29, before hosting the winner of Kent State-Western Michigan in the tournament quarterfinals on Nov. 1.  The Chippewas are riding a 13-match unbeaten streak (12-0-1) and have posted 12 straight shutouts, which is tied for the second-longest streak in NCAA Division I history.  They have not allowed a goal in 1227:26.

First round action begins this weekend in the Atlantic Sun Conference, and winners will move on to face No. 1 Kennesaw State and No. 2 Belmont on Nov. 5.  KSU has won three of the last four regular season titles, and will host the championship round.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee became the first-ever Horizon League team to post a flawless 8-0-0 record, and will host the semifinal and final games on Nov. 6-8.  Milwaukee is the defending tournament champion, and leads the league in scoring with 2.39 goals per game.  Quarterfinal action begins on Nov. 1.

The MAAC crowns its league champion in just a few days with the final game scheduled for Nov. 2.  Loyola University Maryland finished the league schedule with a perfect 9-0-0 mark, and rides an 11-game unbeaten streak into the tournament.  The Greyhounds were also the top seed in last year's tournament, but fell to Fairfield, 3-0 in the championship game.

Around the nation, other conference races will come down to the last weekend of regular season action. 

In the Patriot League, Colgate will host League-leading Bucknell on Oct. 31, with each team having a chance to clinch the top seed and home field advantage in the tournament with a win. If the teams tie, Bucknell will be the top seed in the championship tournament next week.

Florida International University is riding an unbeaten streak of nine games, and sits in first place in the Sun Belt Conference.  The Golden Panthers can clinch the league's No. 1 if they defeat Florida Atlantic on Oct. 30.

Florida, LSU and South Carolina are still all in contention for the No. 1 seed in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.  Each team has one game remaining as LSU visits Arkansas and Florida hosts South Carolina on Oct. 30.   Florida enters the weekend with a league-leading 23 points, while LSU and South Carolina sit in second place with 22 points.

The Colonial Athletic Association regular season title is up for grabs as first-place Hofstra and second-place Northeastern tangle on Oct. 31.  The two teams met in last year's CAA Tournament championship game, which Northeaster won, 1-0. 

Florida State enters the weekend as the first place team in the competitive Atlantic Coast Conference, but the Seminoles will go on the road to Virginia Tech and Virginia as they try to remain on top.  Four league teams are ranked in the nation's Top 10.

We'll be sure to keep you posted as the 64-team NCAA Championship bracket unfolds and teams automatically qualify over the final stretch before selections are announced on Monday, November 9.