LA JOLLA, Calif. - As the playoffs quickly approach, national and regional rankings vary in the evaluations of the NCAA Division II women's soccer field. One thing is certain though for UC San Diego - the results of this weekend's matches against contenders Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills will determine the seeding for the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships while also clearing up the West Region's postseason picture.
The Tritons, at 14-3 overall and 11-3 in the CCAA, are ranked No. 18 nationally and No. 3 regionally in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll while Seattle Pacific (14-2) and CSULA (13-2-2) are positioned 1-2 respectively in the West. In contrast, the women's soccer poll released Wednesday by the NCAA shows UCSD at No. 1 with SPU and CSULA trailing in the second and third spots.
The CCAA Championships, held on the campus of Cal State Stanislaus in Turlock, Calif. from Nov. 6-8, will precede the NCAA announcement of regional sites and postseason selections on Nov. 9 at 4 p.m.
The format of the CCAA playoffs, for which the UCSD squad has already qualified, includes the two division winners along with the next two teams with the highest point totals for a single-elimination tournament to determine the league champion and automatic entrant into the NCAA D-II Championships.
The Tritons' two remaining regular season opponents, CSULA and CSUDH, will likely be part of the conference postseason and are in the midst of the regional race for a shot at the NCAA playoffs.
Friday's home match with the Golden Eagles of CSULA is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The two squads met less than two weeks ago when the Tritons dropped a 2-1 road decision on Oct. 19. The Golden Eagles received two scores from junior Alex Conley while UCSD sophomore defender Sara Spaventa tallied her first career goal in the losing effort. The Tritons are now 11-5-1 against CSULA all-time.
Another formidable foe enters town on Sunday, with UCSD hosting CSUDH for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. The Toros, after knocking off defending national champion and previously-No. 4 ranked SPU on Saturday, have demonstrated the threat they could pose once the postseason rolls around. The Tritons needed a score in the 88th minute to clip CSUDH, 2-1, on Oct. 16 in Carson. With the road win, UCSD took a 16-15-3 advantage in the all-time series against the Toros.
After Tritons' sophomore goalkeeper Kristin Armstrong and the rest of the defense posted two shutouts this past weekend against Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona, the Tritons are now owners of a seven-game winning streak at home.
Among the other teams featured in the West Region, Wednesday night's game between SPU and Western Washington could give the winner the inside track to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title. If WWU is able to pull off the road upset, the regional rankings could grow even more complicated.
