Women's Soccer to Face UMass in NCAA First Round Again

The verdict is in, and it's exciting.

After three days of anxious anticipation and nervous excitement, the Harvard women's soccer team learned its post-season fate yesterday evening.

The Crimson learned it will face UMass for the third straight year in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The game takes place at Ohiri Field Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

Crowded tightly around a television monitor in the Crimson Sports Grille, all eyes were focused on the screen as tournament brackets were announced live.

The news produced only smiles and happiness in the teammates, who were obviously pleased with the placement.

"We are so excited--there is no way to explain it," said sophomore Gina Foster. "So many factors make it amazing. We just couldn't stop smiling."

The announcement comes in the wake of Harvard's hard earned Ivy title clinched last weekend.

In Providence Saturday, Harvard took the title outright with a 2-1 win against Brown, capturing the Bessie H. Rudd Cup, bestowed upon the Ivy winner.

The championship translated, however, to much more than a mere accolade, a reward for a job well done; it also gave the Crimson an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.

For a team that has demonstrated increased strength and cohesion with every match, it is a just reward for a season that started off sour but finished sweet.

"We're all very excited," said senior captain Rebe Glass. "We've been focusing on winning the Ivy League all season, and having won that, it's great to be able to shift our focus towards the next level."

"We've already had the opportunity to avenge and make up for past errors," said Coach Tim Wheaton. "This first round is another opportunity for us."

Indeed, it appears that the team couldn't be happier.

"Out of all the possible scenarios of how we could have ended up in terms of seedings and everything this is by far the best we could have had," said freshman Brooke McCarthy. "We have the home field advantage, so hopefully we'll have a big crowd to support us. We're all eager to revenge last year's loss."

For Harvard and UMass are by no means strangers in the NCAA.

Last year, Harvard was eliminated by the Minutemen in the first round of the tournament.

This year's pairing, therefore, affords the Crimson the eagerly anticipated opportunity to avenge that loss.

"It's awesome to be playing UMass because we fell like last year's game didn't end the way it was supposed to," Foster said. "Also, when our team first made it to NCAAs two years ago we also lost to UMass, so going into it having lost to them twice will really pump us up."

"UMass and Harvard have a long tradition in women's soccer," Wheaton said, "and we've been neck and neck this year in various polls. It was a good draw for us--we know what we're up against, and the general feeling is that the matching was as good as it could be. We are definitely looking forward to playing them Sunday."

The contest, therefore, promises a powerful showdown between the rival teams.

"In a must-win situation," Wheaton said. "Anything can happen. We're going to go out there and do our best."

Predictably, the team approaches Sunday's contest with confidence.

"We started out a bit rough in the beginning of the season but we've definitely picked up momentum," McCarthy said. "I think we're playing pretty well right now."

"We're definitely going with an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' approach to our game," Glass said. "We've been improving all season, so we're going to maintain our current level of play and just try to pick it up a little in each game we play. In the NCAA, if you lose one game you're out, so we're going to put all we have into each game and just take it one step at a time."

Facing his team, one full of grins and smiles, Coach Wheaton left the Crimson with the words of the UConn women's basketball coach:

All through the season and the playoffs you just have to be yourself. There's no need to rise above the self--that time will come, but it isn't here yet. Go out there and do what you do day to day. Nothing different or exceptional or dramatic. Don't think that you have to go out there and do something amazing. Just keep up the current standards, and do what you know how to do.