2018 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament First & Second Rounds
Dates: November 10-11
Site: Danville, Ky. 
Venue: Andrew P. Amend Field
#4 Centre: Schedule | Roster | Stats 
Wooster: Schedule | Roster | Stats 
#22 UChicago: Schedule | Roster | Stats 
Grove City: Schedule | Roster | Stats 
 
On Tap 
Centre women's soccer is set to host the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament this weekend at Andrew P. Amend Field. The Colonels will face Wooster in the opening round, with the University of Chicago and Grove City meeting in Saturday's other first round match.
 
Tune In
Fans can watch all three matches this weekend for free. Live links and more information about the event can be found here.
 
About the Colonels
Centre's historic 2018 season has been impressive even by the program's lofty standards. The Colonels went 16-0 to complete their first-ever undefeated and untied regular season, and faced little resistance in their seventh consecutive Southern Athletic Association Tournament Championship.
 
Defense has been the key for the Colonels, who will enter the NCAA Tournament shutting out their last 13 opponents. The last time Centre allowed a goal was Sept. 16 – or more than 1,100 in-game minutes ago, and its goals-against average of 0.21 ranks third in NCAA Division III. 
 
Individually, the Colonels are flush with contributors at every level. Centre swept the SAA major awards with Offensive Player of the Year Alana Hughes, Defensive Player of the Year Jessie Turner, and Newcomer of the Year Cameron Zak.
 
Hughes is third in the country with nine game-winning goals, and her 40 points led all SAA players this season.
 
Centre had 11 individuals earn All-SAA honors, including first-teamers in Hughes, Turner, Averi Faulk, Meghan Paynter and Sarah Stodghill. Stodghill's goals-against average (0.18) is best in the nation. 

The Coloenls are coached by Jay Hoffman, now in his 15th season and recently named SAA Coach of the Year.
 
Inside the Perfect Regular Season
Centre's 16-0 regular season was not without impressive victories, none more notable than a 2-1 overtime victory at then-21st-ranked Denison in mid-September. Elizabeth Nelson scored the game-tying goal in the 90th minute with Hughes providing the golden goal in the first extra period.
 
All told, the Colonels defeated three eventual conference champions in Otterbein (Ohio Athletic Conference), Mt. St. Joseph (Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference) and Piedmont (USA South).
 
Colonels in the NCAA Tournament
This is the eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and ninth overall for the program. Centre is 7-7-4 all-time in the "Big Dance," but are 4-1-1 in home matches.
 
The Colonels hosted the opening rounds in 2015 when they made their historic Final Four run, ultimately falling to Williams in the national semifinals in Kansas City.
 
Last year, Centre fell in the opening round to Illinois Wesleyan, 2-1, but have won at least one match in five of its eight NCAA trips.
 
Centre vs. Wooster
The Colonels and Fighting Scots have met three times – never in the NCAA Tournament – with Centre holding a slight 2-1 advantage. The last meeting was back in 2011, resulting in a 1-0 Centre victory in double overtime.
 
About the Fighting Scots
Wooster enters the NCAA Tournament with a 13-3-3 overall record, making its first trip to the national tournament since 1996 and third overall. 
 
The Fighting Scots recently won the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament with late-match heroics against Kenyon in a 2-1 semifinal victory preceding a 4-0 rout over Wittenberg in the title match. 
 
Wooster shares quite a few common opponents with Centre, including John Carroll (T, 0-0), Mt. St. Joseph (T, 1-1), DePauw (W, 2-1 OT), Denison (L, 1-0) and Thomas More (W, 4-1). 
 
Erica White is the primary contributor offensively, totaling 18 goals (eight game-winners) and five assists for 41 total points. No other Fighting Scot has more than four goals.
 
Goalie Molly Hutter is 16th in Division III in goals-against average (0.37), although senior Maddy Ireton has started the last four matches – all Wooster victories. 
 
Potential Round Two Opponents
The 22nd-ranked University of Chicago will face Grove City in Saturday's other opening round match.
 
The Maroons should prove to be a tough out, coming off a national runner-up finish in 2017 after going 22-2 overall. They were Final Four participants in 2016, as well, and have made 18 total NCAA appearance and six in a row.
 
Chicago is riding a three-match losing skid, however, and meets a Grove City side coming off a thrilling shootout victory in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship. 
 
The Wolverines are making their fourth NCAA appearance and first since 2012. 
 

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