Nine Pac-12 teams kick off NCAA Tournament action this week

SAN FRANCISCO — Nine Pac-12 teams earned bids to the 2019 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament, tied for the most of any conference. STANFORD claimed its unprecedented fifth-straight outright Pac-12 crown and was tabbed the No. 1 seed in the NCAA in Tournament for the fourth-straight year.

Stanford (18-1-0, 11-0-0) is joined by fellow No. 2 seeds UCLA (14-4-1, 8-3-0) and USC (14-4-1, 7-4-0), and No. 4 seed WASHINGTON (11-6-2, 7-4-0). 

ARIZONA (11-6-1, 5-5-1), CALIFORNIA (13-4-3, 5-3-3), COLORADO (11-7-2, 3-6-2), UTAH (8-8-4, 3-5-3), AND WASHINGTON STATE (12-6-1, 5-5-1) clinched at-large bids.

This week, the top-ranked Cardinal hosts Prairie View A&M, UCLA hosts Lamar University, Washington State welcomes Memphis, and Utah travels to Duke on Friday, Nov. 15. Saturday, Nov. 16 features Northern Colorado at Colorado, Cal State Fullerton at USC, Seattle at Washington, and TCU at Arizona.  

PAC-12 IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT:
• Nine Pac-12 teams earned a trip to the 2019 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament, tied for the most of any conference,
• The league has nine teams in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014 and just the second time in Conference history. 
• The Pac-12 currently holds an all-time record of 197-130-29 (.594) in the NCAA Tournament, owns five national championships and six-second place finishes.
• The Pac-12 has won a NCAA title in four of the last seven seasons, and five of the last 11 years (USC ’07, STAN ’11, UCLA ’13, USC ’16, STAN ’17).
• Stanford and UCLA made history in a first-ever all-Pac-12 NCAA final when they met for the 2017crown. The ACC and WCC are the only other conferences besides the Pac-12 to have an all-conference national championship game, with the ACC having done so twice and the WCC once.

IN THE RANKINGS:
• Three Pac-12 teams appear in this week’s United Soccer Coaches top 25, all in the top 10.
• Stanford comes in at No. 1 after extending its 41-Conference win streak after topping California (4-0).
• UCLA moves up to No. 7 after defeating crosstown-rival USC (4-2) and claiming second place in the league, and the Trojans land at No. 9 this week.
• At least three Conference teams have been in the United Soccer Coaches top 25 each week, with nine teams appearing in the poll at some point this season.
• 11 Pac-12 teams are in the top-80 of the most recent RPI rankings. Eight teams are in the top 50 and three teams are in the top 10 including Stanford at No. 1.

PAC-12 WOMEN’S SOCCER HONORS:
• The Pac-12 Conference announced today the All-Pac-12 women’s soccer honors for the 2019 season, as determined by a polling of the Conference coaches.
• USC’s Tara McKeown was voted Pac-12 Forward of the Year and is the first Trojan to earn the honor. • Stanford’s Catarina Macario was tabbed Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year, her third annual in three seasons, and fellow Cardinal Naomi Girma was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.
• California’s Angelina Anderson was named Pac-12 Goalkeeper and Freshman of the Year and is the first player in Conference history to earn both honors.
•Washington head coach Lesle Gallimore was voted the Pac-12 Coach of the Year.
• For the full 48 student-athlete lists of the All-Pac-12 and All-Freshman teams, click here.

MAC HERMANN WATCH LIST:
• Stanford’s Catarina Macario recorded two assists to help the Cardinal defeat California (4-0) last week to maintain her national lead in assists (18). The junior forward also leads the country in points (64), goals per game (1.21), points per game (3.37), and assists per game (0.95), and ranks second in goals (23). Macario was named Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year and was selected first team All-Pac-12. Fellow Cardinal Sophia Smith recorded a goal last week to help with the victory and was named second team All-Pac-12.
• Lucy Parker led a defensive line that helped the Bruins take down crosstown-rival USC (4-2), limiting the Trojans to a season-low four shots and two on frame. Parker was voted second team All-Conference.
• UCLA’s Ashley Sanchez posted two assists while facing the Trojans, bringing her season-assist total to 12, the second-most in the Conference. Sanchez was named first team All-Pac-12. Teammate Jessie Fleming also earned first team All-Pac-12 honors this season after recording two goals and one assist this fall.
• Washington State’s Morgan Weaver was selected second team All-Pac-12 after scoring an impressive 11 goals this season, good for the fourth-most in the Conference.
• Nine Pac-12 student-athletes were named to the 2019 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. This is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year. The watch list is headlined by 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy winner Catarina Macario of Stanford. The Cardinal is further represented by sophomore forward Sophia Smith. The Bruins lead the Conference with three student-athletes on the list: 2018 semifinalist Ashley Sanchez, 2017 finalist Jessie Fleming, and junior defender Lucy Parker. Adding to the list of honorees are USC’s Kaylie Collins and Savannah DeMelo, Colorado’s Taylor Kornieck, and Washington State’s Morgan Weaver.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
• UCLA’s Ashley Sanchez was named offensive player of the week for this first time this season after helping the Bruins extend their five-game win streak. The junior forward recorded two assists, bringing her career total to 39 to set a new program record.
• Tavia Leachman collected her first-career defensive player of the week honor after leading Utah’s defense to a shutout victory over Colorado (1-0) last week.
• Oregon State’s Bridgette Skiba earned this week’s goalkeeper of the week award after helping the Beavs top rival Oregon (1-0). The sophomore goalkeeper posted five saves on the week  

NON-CONFERENCE NOTABLES:
• The Pac-12 boasted the highest winning percentage for the last four weeks of non-conference play (.875, .857, .811), finishing with a combined record of 76-14-9 for an .813 percentage, including 6-3 against ranked sides.
• Oregon State and USC finished their non-conference slates undefeated, two of just seven Division I teams to not record a loss in non-conference play.
• The league continues to post impressive offensive results as they currently have the third-most assists (382), fourth-most goals (414), and third-most shots (3,488) in the country.

2018 IN REVIEW
• Last season, five Pac-12 teams earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Stanford entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed, UCLA at No. 2, and USC at No. 4, while Washington State and ARIZONA clinched at-large bids. The Conference posted an impressive postseason run, as all Pac-12 squads went undefeated in the first round for the first time since 2007. The Cardinal, the Bruins, and the Trojans landed spots in the third round, marking the third-straight year three Conference teams were in the round of 16.

CONFERENCE STANDINGS

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (Times local to site)

P12N/P12A/P12BA/P12LA/P12M/P12O/P12W - Indicates live broadcast on Pac-12 Network.
 

PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

THIS WEEK: 
Offensive: Ashley Sanchez, UCLA
Defensive: Tavia Leachman, Utah
Goalkeeper: Bridgette Skiba, OSU

ALSO NOMINATED:
Offensive: Jada Talley, ARIZ; Paula Leblic, OSU; Ireland Dunn, Utah; Summer Yates, WASH.
Defensive: Samantha Falasco, ARIZ; Sydney Studer, OSU; Lucy Parker, UCLA.
Goalkeeper: Hope Hisey, ARIZ; Angelina Anderson, CAL; Jalen Tompkins, COLO; Teagan Micah, UCLA; Carly Nelson, Utah. 

2019 WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

NATIONAL HONORS

MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List
Taylor Kornieck, Colorado; Caterina Macario, Stanford; Sophia Smith, Stanford; Jessie Fleming, UCLA; Lucky Parker, UCLA; Ashley Sanchez, UCLA; Kaylie Collins, USC; Savannah DeMelo, USC; Morgan Weaver, Washington State

IN THE PRESEASON

Pac-12 Preseason Poll | NCAA Preseason Poll | MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List