After three months of thrilling regular-season action around women's college soccer, the long-awaited postseason is finally upon us! The 2023 NCAA tournament bracket was released Monday, and a loaded slate of 32 first-round contests is now just a day away, leaving much for NCAA Digital's Andrew McDevitt and NCAA.com's Maria Howell to break down.
Looking back to the bracket that was released on Monday, the two seemed to be the most excited for No. 6 Saint Louis vs. Indiana, LSU vs. No. 6 Memphis and No. 7 Pitt vs. Ohio State showdowns this weekend. You can find a the full schedule of the first round at the bottom of this article.
"There’s always a top team that comes back and wins the tournament every single year but I think having a team that’s built so much in such a short time is kind of a fire that's tough to deal with," Howell said.
Crediting each team's ability to perform well under pressure and stand in great positions when it came to seeding were a few of the reasons behind the anticipation to witness the upcoming games. In turn, it came down to the commonality of what each team in the 32 first-round bracket exudes: Grit.
Fun Future Matchups
Notre Dame vs. Pitt, Stanford vs. UCLA and BYU vs. UNC were named as a few anticipated matchups the two would love to see after the first round － if the opportunities present themselves. These high-energy teams made the list based on their overall performance and trajectory throughout the season.
"Playing tough competitors prepares you for top-level games," McDevitt said.
For Maria, Clemson vs. Georgia made her list of what could be a fun matchup. We last witnessed UGA face the Tigers in Sept.; ending in a tie. If fans were to witness that matchup once more, it could be one for the books as both teams hold a lengthy list of top players.
Sleeper Teams
Moral of the story: Don't sleep on the Ivy League. While riding the Pitt train all night, McDevitt had to flip the switch and mention Harvard as another sleeper team to follow. Crediting their great year and ability to roll with the punches throughout the season, the No. 4 team made quite the name for themselves. For No. 7 Pitt, their list of heavy hitters and ability to ruffle up some feathers with their performance on the field throughout the season landed them a spot as another sleeper team to keep an eye on.
Who's on Top?
Recalling the 'Goalkeeper Gospel,' Howell kept the light shining on the last line of defense. Penn State's Katherine Asman made Howell's list of top players to know. Asman's impact on and off the field as well as her total career 283 saves speaks for itself.
Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year Ryan Campbell of Stanford made McDevitt's list. Honorable mentions went to Big Ten forward of the Year Eleanor Dale of Nebraska, Texas' Alexis "Lexi" Missimo, Grand Canyon's Gianna Gourley and No. 1 Florida State's Onyi Echegini.
To hear more takeaways from both Andrew and Maria, you can tune in above.
NCAA tournament first round schedule:
Friday, Nov. 10
- No. 4 Georgia vs. Liberty | 4:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- Grand Canyon vs. No. 8 USC | 5:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 1 Florida State vs. Morehead State | 5:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 5 Michigan State vs. Ohio| 6:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 3 North Carolina vs. Towson | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- Western Carolina vs. No. 6 Alabama | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- James Madison vs. No. 7 South Carolina | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 2 Penn State vs. Central Conn. State | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 5 Texas vs. Lamar | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- Bucknell vs. No. 5 Iowa | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- Radford vs. No. 1 Clemson | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 7 Princeton vs. Michigan |7:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- FGCU vs. No. 2 Texas Tech | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- Grambling vs. No. 2 Arkansas | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 1 BYU vs. Utah State | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 6 Saint Louis vs. Indiana | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- Milwaukee vs. No. 4 Wisconsin |8:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- Colorado vs. No. 8 Texas A&M | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- South Dakota St. vs. No. 5 Nebraska | 8:05 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 2 Stanford vs. Pepperdine | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- UC Irvine vs. No. 1 UCLA | 9:00 p.m.| ESPN+
Saturday, Nov. 11
- Old Dominion vs. No. 3 Georgetown | 12:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 6 Mississippi State vs. Providence |12:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- Quinnipiac vs. No. 3 Brown | 4:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 4 Xavier vs. Tennessee | 4:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- Arizona State vs. No. 7 Santa Clara | 4:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- Maine vs. No. 4 Harvard | 5:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 3 Notre Dame vs. Valparaiso | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 7 Pitt vs. Ohio State | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- No. 8 Gonzaga vs. Idaho | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN+
- LSU vs. No. 6 Memphis | 8:00 p.m.| ESPN+