Spartans Earn Trip To South Bend For NCAA Tournament
11/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 7, 2005
East Lansing, Mich. - The Michigan State women's soccer team earned its second trip to the NCAA Division I tournament in program history on Monday, Nov. 7. The Spartans gathered at the Breslin Center to watch the 2005 selection show and a season of hard work was rewarded when it was announced that MSU (11-5-5) would take on Bowling Green (14-6-2) in the Notre Dame regional. Should Michigan State advance it would play the winner of Monday's early contest between the defending national champion Fighting Irish (19-2-0) and the Comodores of Valparaiso (12-7-1), on Sunday afternoon.
The Spartans and Falcons have met once already in 2005; the Green and White pulled out a 1-0 victory over the MAC Champions from BGSU, on Sept. 9. Senior forward Emma Harris (Portage) scored the second of her 13 goals this season in the 9th minute and sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Galas (Sterling Heights) did not have to make a single save as the Spartans picked up their second win of the season.
In total, seven 2005 opponents will join Michigan State in the field of 64. Besides the Falcons, Texas and Texas A&M, Big Ten foes Illinois, Purdue, Penn State and Wisconsin also qualified; MSU was a combined 3-3-2 against those teams.
The Green and White are looking to bounce back from a semi-final loss to the Badgers in the Big Ten conference tournament last weekend; The Spartans are undefeated (2-0-2) following a loss this season. MSU and the remaining 65 teams are fighting for four spots in the 2005 College Cup, hosted by Texas A&M on Dec. 2 and 4, in College Station, Texas.
