Tusculum Women’s Soccer To Face Tampa in NCAA Elite Eight

TAMPA --- The match time for Saturday's NCAA Division II Women's Soccer national quarterfinal match between Tusculum College and the University of Tampa has been announced. The NCAA Elite Eight contest will begin at 7 p.m. and will be played at Pepin Stadium on the Tampa, Fla. campus.

Saturday's match will be the first-ever meeting between the Pioneers and Spartans. Both teams are coming off a pair of shutout wins last weekend to advance to this point in the postseason.

Tusculum (14-2-3) won the Southeast Region Championship by posting 1-0 wins over Armstrong Atlantic State University and No. 4 Carson-Newman College. This is Tusculum's third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years, but it will mark its inaugural trip to the quarterfinal round.

Tampa (17-2-1) captured the South Region title with victories over Nova Southeastern (3-0) and No. 9 West Florida (2-0). The No. 5 Spartans are making their fourth straight appearance in the NCAA postseason, but like Tusculum, this will be their first journey to the Elite Eight.

The winner advances to next Thursday's national semifinal against the winner of the Nebraska-Omaha/Grand Valley State quarterfinal match. The national semifinals and final are being held in Pensacola, Fla. in conjunction with the NCAA II Fall Sports Festival.

The two teams have played similar opponents in Armstrong Atlantic, Newberry College, Flagler College, Barry University and Lynn University. Tusculum is 4-0-2 against those teams, while Tampa posted a 4-1 mark against the same competition.