Miami Soccer to Face Florida in NCAA Tournament Friday

Hurricanes primed to make second NCAA Tournament appearance.

11/12/2007

Coral Gables, Fla. - The University of Miami women's soccer team will travel to Gainesville to take on third-seeded Florida in the first round of NCAA Tournament competition on Friday.



The NCAA released the 64-team field on Monday evening, with the Atlantic Coast Conference leading all leagues with eight teams advancing to the postseason - including top-seeded North Carolina, third-seeded Florida State, fourth-seeded Wake Forest, fourth-seeded Virginia, Boston College, Duke, Clemson and Miami.



The Hurricanes (9-6-5) put together quite a turnaround from their 2006 season which saw them finish last in the ACC, to this season's fifth-place ACC finish - including wins over defending national champions North Carolina and then-undefeated Boston College. In addition, Miami produced two NSCAA National Players of the Week in true freshman forward Brittney Steinbruch (Wyckoff, N.J.) and senior goalkeeper Lauren McAdam (Simsbury, Conn.), as well as posting the ACC's Coach of the Year in Tricia Taliaferro, Freshman of the Year and All-ACC First Team pick in Steinbruch and an All-ACC Second Team selection in freshman Lauren Singer (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.).



Of the 64 teams making up the 2007 field, the Hurricanes have played 11 of them over their 20-game regular-season slate - including the other seven ACC schools, Alabama A&M, LSU, Samford and UCF. UCF will face Auburn in first-round play in Gainesville as well, with the winners of the Miami-Florida game advancing to the second round to face the winner of the UCF-Auburn contest.



Third-seeded Florida (16-4-2) automatically advanced to the NCAA Tournament after winning its eighth SEC title with a commanding 4-1 win over No. 13 Georgia yesterday. Winners of 12 straight, Stacy Bishop leads the Gators with 10 goals and 10 assists in 22 games this season. In addition, 13 of UF's 16 wins this season were shutouts.