MONMOUTH, IL (11/11/2019) Making its first NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament appearance in the 26-year history of the program, Monmouth College will face the University of St. Thomas in the first round this weekend.
The game, scheduled for an 11 a.m. start on Saturday in St. Paul, Minn., pits the Scots (14-4-2) against the Tommies (15-2-3), who are ranked 19th nationally and No. 1 in the North region. The Tommies have allowed less than a goal a game and will be a test for the Scots, who have scored nearly three goals a game.
“St. Thomas is an incredible team, so we’re not drawing an easy first round,” said Scots coach Nick Rizzo. “They’re big and athletic.”
While his players will be experiencing the postseason for the first time, Rizzo went to the postseason four times as a player. That could give the Scots an edge not normally enjoyed by a newcomer to the tournament.
“I have a good idea of the preparation and what to expect from the overall experience,” said Rizzo. “Just the travel and everything leading up to it is familiar for me, so the organizational aspect won’t be totally an unknown.”
The Scots are one of just 64 teams to qualify for the NCAA tournament after winning the Midwest Conference Tournament last weekend. That excitement was duplicated Monday afternoon when the team learned the identity of their opponent.
“They were pretty excited at the announcement,” said Rizzo. “I think when they heard the numbers that only 64 teams advanced, it really sunk in. It’s a cool experience and something we had openly talked about. Now that we’re in, we don’t want to just go for the experience. We want to go and compete.”
The winner will meet the winner of the Illinois Wesleyan (14-5-0) vs. UW-Whitewater (14-5-3) on Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens.
