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Olivia O'Rear, SMU
2004 WAC Tournament MVP |
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Erin Droeger, Rice
2004 First-Team all-WAC |
Related Material
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2004 NCAA Tournament Bracket.pdf
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DENVER SMU and Rice both received bids to the 2004 NCAA Womens Soccer Tournament. The opening rounds will be played November 12 and 14. SMU (15-3-3), which won its fourth-straight WAC Tournament title, earned the WACs automatic selection. It is the 10th overall NCAA Tournament appearance for SMU, its sixth while being a member of the WAC. Rice (14-4-3), which finished runner-up to SMU in the WAC Tournament, earned an at-large bid. It is the first appearance for the Owls in their young, four-year history. It is the first time the WAC has had two teams in the NCAA Tournament, since SMU and Fresno State were both selected in 1999.
Click on the .pdf to right to view the complete NCAA Tournament bracket.
Led by head coach John Cossaboon, the Mustangs have been ranked in the NSCAA top 25 for most of the season. They had five all-WAC selections, including WAC Freshman of the Year, Kimber Bailey. Sophomore forward Olivia ORear has been the hottest player in the league as of late, posting a point in each of her last 11 matches. Over the past five, she has registered five goals, and five assists.
It will be a change of venue for the Mustangs in the first round, but not opponent. SMU travels to Austin, Texas for its first-round round match on Nov. 12, where West Virginia (14-5-0) awaits. If the Mustangs advance, they will face the winner of North Texas (15-5-1) and host Texas (13-6-2) on Nov. 14. SMU has faced Texas in two of the last three NCAA Tournaments, both times in College Station. West Virginia lost to Villanova, 1-0, in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. The Longhorns fell to Texas A&M in the Big 12 Championship, 3-0. North Texas won the Sun Belt Conference Title with a, 1-0, win over Florida International.
Rice and WAC Coach of the Year, Chris Huston, have relied on defense all season, and will look to do so in the NCAA Tournament. The Owls are among the top 10 in the country in goals-against-average, shutouts and shutout percentage. They are led by WAC Player of the Year, goalkeeper Lauren Shockley. Shockley became the WACs career record holder in GAA in 2004. She allowed goals in consecutive matches in the WAC Tournament for the just the second time all season.
The Owls will stay instate, as they travel to College Station, Texas for a first-round match with Illinois (13-5-2) on Nov. 12. Illinois lost in its semifinal match of the Big Ten Tournament. If the Owls advance, they play the winner of Texas State (13-9-0) and host Texas A&M (17-5-0) on Nov. 14. The Aggies won the Big 12 title, defeating Texas, 3-0, in the championship match. Texas State captured the Southland Conference title, defeating UL-Monroe.
The semifinals and championship will be held at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., hosted by North Carolina State, December 3 and 5.
SMU has a 7-7-2 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament.
1990 at Colorado College - L, 3-1
1992 at Duke - L, 0-1
1993 at North Carolina L, 1-4
1995 Texas A&M - W, 2-1
North Carolina State - W, 4-3
Portland - L, 4-2
*1997 at Texas A&M - W, 1-0
UCLA - L, 3-2
*1999 Baylor - W, 4-0
at USC - W, 1-0
at Penn State - L, 5-0
*2001 vs. Texas - W, 2-1
at Texas A&M - L, 2-1 (OT)
*2002 vs. Texas - W, 2-1
at Texas A&M - T, 1-1 (L, 2-3 PK)
*2003 at Texas A&M - T, 1-1 (L, 1-4 PK)
*2004 vs. West Virginia at Austin, Texas (Texas)
This is Rices first appearance
*2004 vs. Illinois at College Station, Texas (Texas A&M)
*as a member of the WAC