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Friday, November 12
Princeton, N.J.
6:00 PM
Princeton University
vs
Vermont
Photo by: Princeton Athletic Communications
Tigers Set to Host Vermont in Friday's NCAA Tournament Opener
November 10, 2021 | Women's Soccer
For the 14th time in program history and the third time in the last four competitive seasons, the Princeton women's soccer team will compete in the NCAA tournament, and for the seventh time in program history, the Tigers will open the tournament at home. This time, the opponent is Vermont, a first-time NCAA opponent for the Tigers in what will be the first meeting between the teams in 34 years.
vs. Vermont, NCAA first round, Friday, 6 p.m. | ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets | Tournament Program
Princeton was last in the tournament in 2018 when a trip to Texas Tech for the first round ended in a Red Raider win. In 2017, Princeton hosted a first-round win over Monmouth before heading to North Carolina and advancing past N.C. State in a penalty-kick shootout and knocking off No. 2 North Carolina in overtime in the round of 16 before a loss at No. 4 UCLA ended the run in the quarterfinals. In the 2021 draw, Princeton sees six of its regular-season opponents in Georgetown, Rutgers, Hofstra, Bucknell, Harvard and Brown. Princeton had a 3-2-1 record against tournament teams this year.
Vermont is in the tournament for the first time in 37 years, as the Catamounts' only other NCAA appearance was in 1984 and 2-1 first-round defeat at Harvard. Princeton and Vermont have met just twice, each team winning on its home field in a home-and-home between the 1986 (Vermont, 1-0) and 1987 (Princeton, 2-1 OT) seasons.
Princeton learned its 2021 All-Ivy honorees on Wednesday, with defenders Lucy Rickerson and Madison Curry earning first-team honors along with keeper Grace Barbara, forwards Tatum Gee and Gabi Juarez and midfielder Aria Nagai as second-team honorees, and midfielder Marissa Hart earning honorable mention. While Juarez is the team's leading goal and point scorer with eight and 21, Princeton has had 14 goal scorers this season, its most since 1999, when it also saw 14 players score.
Defensively, Princeton posted 10 shutouts on the regular season, the eighth time in program history Princeton has had double-digit shutouts in a season. Barbara has been in goal for 1,200 of the team's 1,560 minutes, accruing an 0.82 GAA.
Vermont brings America East Midfielder of the Year Ella Bankert and Goalkeeper of the Year Lydia Kessel, along with the league's Coaching Staff of the Year, led by Kristi Huizenga. Four Catamounts, including Bankert, Kessel, forward Alyssa Oviedo and backliner Alex West, were first-team All-America East, and defender Natalie Durieux was a second-teamer. Midfielder Bailey Ayer and defender Maddy Cronin were all-rookie honorees. Oviedo leads 12 Vermont goal scorers with six, and is the team's points leader with 15. Kessel has played all but 103 of the team's 1,693 minutes in goal, accruing a 1.06 GAA.
The winner will meet the winner between TCU and Prairie View A&M in a round-of-32 game to be played at Rutgers, provided Rutgers wins its first-round game.
vs. Vermont, NCAA first round, Friday, 6 p.m. | ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets | Tournament Program
Princeton was last in the tournament in 2018 when a trip to Texas Tech for the first round ended in a Red Raider win. In 2017, Princeton hosted a first-round win over Monmouth before heading to North Carolina and advancing past N.C. State in a penalty-kick shootout and knocking off No. 2 North Carolina in overtime in the round of 16 before a loss at No. 4 UCLA ended the run in the quarterfinals. In the 2021 draw, Princeton sees six of its regular-season opponents in Georgetown, Rutgers, Hofstra, Bucknell, Harvard and Brown. Princeton had a 3-2-1 record against tournament teams this year.
Vermont is in the tournament for the first time in 37 years, as the Catamounts' only other NCAA appearance was in 1984 and 2-1 first-round defeat at Harvard. Princeton and Vermont have met just twice, each team winning on its home field in a home-and-home between the 1986 (Vermont, 1-0) and 1987 (Princeton, 2-1 OT) seasons.
Princeton learned its 2021 All-Ivy honorees on Wednesday, with defenders Lucy Rickerson and Madison Curry earning first-team honors along with keeper Grace Barbara, forwards Tatum Gee and Gabi Juarez and midfielder Aria Nagai as second-team honorees, and midfielder Marissa Hart earning honorable mention. While Juarez is the team's leading goal and point scorer with eight and 21, Princeton has had 14 goal scorers this season, its most since 1999, when it also saw 14 players score.
Defensively, Princeton posted 10 shutouts on the regular season, the eighth time in program history Princeton has had double-digit shutouts in a season. Barbara has been in goal for 1,200 of the team's 1,560 minutes, accruing an 0.82 GAA.
Vermont brings America East Midfielder of the Year Ella Bankert and Goalkeeper of the Year Lydia Kessel, along with the league's Coaching Staff of the Year, led by Kristi Huizenga. Four Catamounts, including Bankert, Kessel, forward Alyssa Oviedo and backliner Alex West, were first-team All-America East, and defender Natalie Durieux was a second-teamer. Midfielder Bailey Ayer and defender Maddy Cronin were all-rookie honorees. Oviedo leads 12 Vermont goal scorers with six, and is the team's points leader with 15. Kessel has played all but 103 of the team's 1,693 minutes in goal, accruing a 1.06 GAA.
The winner will meet the winner between TCU and Prairie View A&M in a round-of-32 game to be played at Rutgers, provided Rutgers wins its first-round game.
Players Mentioned
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