Arizona soccer to host TCU in first round of NCAA Tournament

Arizona soccer will host TCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it was revealed on Selection Monday.

The Wildcats did not expect to host, seeing that their RPI was outside the top 32, so the news came as a pleasant surprise.

The match is set for Saturday at Mulcahy Stadium at 6 p.m. MST.

TCU went 11-7-3 this season, including a 4-3-2 mark in the Big 12. Arizona beat the Horned Frogs 4-3 in Tucson on Sept. 21 and also knocked them off in the 2017 NCAA tourney.

If the Wildcats win, they will face Penn State (15-6-1) or Stony Brook (14-5-1), likely in Palo Alto, Calif. Stanford is the No. 1 seed on its side of the bracket and went 11-0 in conference play.

This is Arizona’s third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and fifth in the last six years, the lone exception being the 2016 season. The Wildcats have advanced to the second round in all of those appearances, including the Sweet Sixteen in 2015.

This is the first time Arizona has made three straight postseason appearances.

Arizona went 11-6-1 overall and 5-5-1 in the Pac-12 this season, good for a tie for sixth. The Wildcats mostly lean on underclassmen, only starting three seniors most matches.

Junior forward Jada Talley has led the way for the Wildcats, with 10 goals and nine assists, both team-highs. Fellow junior Jill Aguilera is second with eight goals and sophomore Brooke Wilson has six.

The Wildcats have proven they can beat anybody, evidenced their 3-0 victory over No. 2 seed UCLA in October.

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