STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA women's soccer tournament and will play host to Utah Valley at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.
The Cardinal (18-1-0 overall, 11-0-0 Pac-12) is seeded to host the first four rounds – all the way through the quarterfinals. This is Stanford's 27th NCAA Tournament appearance and 20th in a row.
Should Stanford advance past the first round, the second- and third-round matches will be played at Stanford the weekend of Nov. 17-19. The Cardinal has played host to the first four rounds eight of the past nine years, advancing to the College Cup in six of those seasons.
The Wolverines (10-11-1, 5-2-0 WAC) earned an automatic bid into the field after winning the WAC Tournament this past weekend. They won the tournament with a 1-0 win over Grand Canyon and a 3-1 win in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw against Seattle.
Number ?? seed -- Stanford kicks off the 2017 @NCAASoccer against Utah Valley on Saturday at 7 pm PT. #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/lUFDr19Hma
— Stanford Soccer (@StanfordWSoccer) November 6, 2017
Stanford clinched its third consecutive Pac-12 Championship on Oct. 29 with a 3-1 win at No. 5 USC. The Cardinal enters the postseason on a 16-game win streak, dating back to Aug. 25. Stanford led the nation in scoring (3.68 goals per game), assists (3.53 per game), points (207) and win-lost-tied percentage (0.947) in the regular season. Stanford also ranks near the top of Division I in several defensive categories, including goals-against average (4th) and shutout percentage (2nd).
The Cardinal is one of seven Pac-12 teams in the field, joining Arizona, California, Colorado, UCLA, USC and Washington State. Ten of Stanford's 19 regular-season opponents made the field, including Georgetown, Florida, Santa Clara and Wisconsin. Last season, Stanford exited the postseason tournament with a 1-0 overtime loss against Santa Clara in the second round.
Tickets go on sale Tuesday at 9 a.m. and are $15 for reserved seats. For general admission, tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students, youth and seniors. Call 1-800-STANFORD for more information.