By now, most people are aware that the 2016 Women’s College Cup is being held at Avaya Stadium from Dec. 2-4, pitting the nation’s elite amateur talent against one another. What we still don’t know is which teams will be taking part, but it’s beginning to take shape.
After a wild first three rounds, eight teams remain alive in their pursuit of glory. Santa Clara University is the lone Bay Area team still in contention after three consecutive shutout victories over Long Beach State (3-0), the top-ranked Stanford Cardinal (1-0) and North Carolina State (3-0). Santa Clara remains a heavy underdog, finishing the regular season ranked 37th in the nation, while the other seven teams all finished in the top-16.
In the first of the four Elite Eight matches that determines who will head to Avaya Stadium, No. 6 USC hosts No. 16 Auburn at 1 p.m. PT on Friday. Auburn eliminated No. 4 Florida 3-1 in their last match, while the Trojans are coming off a 1-0 win over Utah.
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The second quarterfinal match is quite possibly the most intriguing, with No. 5 North Carolina visiting No. 3 South Carolina at 3 p.m. PT on Friday. Neither side has yet to allow a single goal in the tournament.
The next match is Santa Clara at No. 7 Georgetown at 9 a.m. PT on Saturday. The Hoyas have dispatched each of their three opponents to date by a score of 2-0. Santa Clara will be searching for their second major upset of the tournament. Broncos goalkeeper Melissa Lowder has recorded 22 saves through three games, including an unbelievable 14 against Stanford last Friday, while forwards Maddie Gonzalez and Jordan Jesolva have each scored two goals.
The second quarterfinal sees No. 15 Duke travel to No. 2 West Virginia, the highest remaining team in the tournament, at 12 p.m. PT on Saturday. West Virginia needed penalties to squeak by UCLA in the Third Round, while Duke is coming off a 1-0 win over Northwestern.
