Owls one of seven teams to punch ticket to women's soccer national tournament
by Jessica Steadman
11/7/2009 6:52:18 PM
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State is back to the national championship tournament for the second time in two years as the Black and Gold’s, 2-1, win over Belmont gave the Owls the automatic bid to the 2009 Women’s Collegiate Cup beginning next weekend.
Jade Dempster’s penalty kick in the 86th minute broke a 1-1 tie and made Kennesaw State one of 64 teams eligible to battle for the national women’s soccer championship.
The women’s soccer team is the lone Kennesaw State team to play in a Division I national tournament. Fast tracked into Division I after winning the Division II National Championship in 2003, the Owls advanced to the national tournament in 2007 where they played nationally ranked Florida State in Tallahassee, a 3-0 loss to the Seminoles.
Kennesaw State joins No. 2-ranked Portland (West Coast Conference), Denver (Sun Belt Conference), Boston University (America East Conference), Loyola (Md.) (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference), San Diego State (Mountain West Conference) and Harvard (Ivy League) as the first teams to earn a tournament bid.
Twenty-three other teams will earn automatic berths on Sunday with the at-large teams selected on Monday evening. The Owls will also find out their opponent on Monday during the Women’s College Cup Selection Show on ESPNews at 8:00 p.m. The first round of the tournament will be on Friday, Nov. 13 at on campus sites throughout the nation.
2009 Women’s College Cup
College Station, Texas | Aggie Soccer Stadium
Monday, November 9
Selection Show, 8 p.m. ET (ESPNews)
November 13 & 15
First/Second Rounds (On campus)
November 20, 21 or 22
Third Round (On campus)
November 27, 28 or 29
Quarterfinals (On campus)
Friday, December 4
Semifinal 1 - 4:30 p.m. CT (ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPN360.com)
Semifinal 2 - 7 p.m. CT (ESPN2 - tape delay)
Sunday, December 6
Championship - Noon CT (ESPN2/ESPN360.com)