Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech will again extend its season into the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship, as the Hokies saw their name appear on the television screen late Monday afternoon, for the second straight year, while watching the NCAA's 2019 Selection Show in the McConnell Auditorium inside the Merryman Athletic Center.
Tech, which had been left out of the postseason tournaments in 2016 and 2017, was sitting on the bubble in 2018 and was chosen as one of the last few at-large selections. This year, the Hokies owned a 12-4-2 overall mark, posted a 4-4-2 record in the ACC and had an RPI of 15 entering selection Monday. The only real uncertainty for Hokie Nation was if there would be one more home match in Blacksburg this November.
After the announcement of "Virginia Tech" as a host site, the Hokies also saw their first round opponent will be Xavier. The match will take place at Thompson Field on the Tech campus on Friday night kicking off at 5 p.m.
This will mark the fifth first round match played at home for Tech, with the Hokies posting a 3-1 mark in the prior four. In home matches overall in the NCAA postseason, Tech is 5-1-1, last winning a 4-0 decision against Cincinnati in 2015. Overall, the Hokies have won four straight first round matches, including last year's 1-0 upset victory at Texas, and are 6-4 in their previous 10 first round battles.
Tech is making its 11th NCAA appearance as a program and the seventh under head coach Chugger Adair. The Hokies head into the postseason behind All-ACC First Team goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, who has recorded 10 shutouts this season, and All-ACC Third Team defender Kelsey Irwin.
Xavier enters the game with a 16-3-2 record and were 8-3-1 on the road this season. The Musketeers won the program's first regular season conference championship in the BIG EAST regular season, their first conference title overall since winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament in 2000.
Xavier also claimed its first BIG EAST Women's Soccer Tournament Championship, making it a clean sweep of the BIG EAST titles for 2019 with a 2-0 victory on Sunday over Georgetown. The Musketeers's 12 shutouts are the most in program history and their 42 goals scored are the second most in program history. They earned the program's third NCAA postseason berth and first since 2000.
Highlighted by three No. 1 seeds, the Atlantic Coast Conference placed an NCAA-best nine teams in the championship field, all of whom are hosting first round matches. CLICK HERE to view the 2019 NCAA interactive bracket.
Tickets for the NCAA match with Xavier are $5 and will be available for purchase with cash at the Thompson Field gates on gameday. Virginia Tech students can get in free with their Hokie Passport.
Gallery: (11/11/2019) 2019 WOMEN'S SOCCER NCAA SELECTION SHOW