Virginia Opens NCAA Tournament Against SIUE Wednesday
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 13 Virginia women’s soccer team (10-4-2) opens play at the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday (April 28) when the Cavaliers take on SIU Edwardsville (SIUE) in opening-round action. Virginia and SIUE (8-2-2) will be playing at WakeMed Park with the match set to begin at 7 p.m.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
Wednesday night’s match will be available on live stream at GoHeels.com/watch and live stats will be provided by the NCAA. Links to both the streaming broadcast and the live stats are available at VirginiaSports.com. Fans can also get updates by following the program’s official Twitter account (@UVAWomenSoccer).
NOTING THE CAVALIERS
• Diana Ordoñez leads the Virginia offense this season with 22 points off a team-leading nine goals and four assists
• ACC Freshman of the Year Lia Godfrey is the top ball distributor with seven assists, including three game winners
• Virginia has four players in double digit points with Godfrey ( 15 – 4G, 7A), Alexa Spaanstra (14 – 6G, 2A) and Rebecca Jarrett (11 – 4G, 3A) all producing in a multi-pronged attack
• Virginia has started 14 different starting lineups through 16 games throughout the 2020-21 season
• The Cavaliers have scored 31 goals while allowing only 20 goals against on the year
• Laurel Ivory has made 12 starts this season with a 1.36 goal against average and has made 26 saves
• Virginia has gotten goals from eight different players this season, while 11 different players have added assists
NOTING THE COUGARS
• SIUE enters the tournament having secured the automatic bid from the Ohio Valley Conference
• The Cougars defeated Southeast Missouri State in overtime in the finals of the conference tournament
• SIUE has scored 27 goals on 210 shots, while holding opponents to 13 goals on 113 shots this season
• Mackenzie Litzsinger has 18 points on a team-leading seven goals and four assists, while Lily Schnieders matches that 18 points via six goals and a team-leading six assists to date
• In goal, Taylor Spiller started all 12 games, making 45 saves on the 113 shots and posting five shutouts
VIRGINIA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• Virginia is making its 33rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 27th consecutive appearance
• The 33 overall appearances is second most by a program and the 27 straight is the second longest active streak
• The Cavaliers hold a 44-28-7 record all-time in the NCAA Tournament and are 41-17-6 under Steve Swanson
• Virginia has made three appearances all-time in the College Cup: 1991, 2013 and 2014
• The Cavaliers advanced to the finals of the NCAA Championships in the 2014 season
WHAT’S ON THE LINE IN THE MATCHUP
The winner of Wednesday night’s match will advance to the second round and face 12th-seeded BYU. The second-round match is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday (May 1) at WakeMed Park. BYU enters the NCAA Tournament with an 11-3-1 record and are ranked No. 17 in the most recent coaches poll.