NCAA Tournament Coming Up

SEATTLE - For the fifth consecutive year and eighth time in the last nine years, the Washington Huskies are headed to the NCAA Tournament. Washington will be the seven seed this year, the second year in a row the Huskies have been a top-ten seed after going into the 2019 tournament as the six seed. Washington will face Grand Canyon for the first time in program history on May 2 at 1:00 pm. The winner of that game will take on the winner of Maryland-Missouri State on May 6.

This will be the 43rd NCAA Tournament game in Washington history. Over the last five years, Washington is 3-3-1 in NCAA Tournament games, including a run to the NCAA quarterfinals last year before falling to eventual national champion Georgetown. This will be the first time since 1999 that Washington's first postseason game won't be played at Husky Soccer Stadium.

Washington last faced a WAC team in the NCAA Tournament in 2017, when Seattle U defeated the Huskies 3-2 in overtime. The Huskies are 64-14-9 all-time against current WAC teams, with 59 of those matchups with Seattle U.

Three current Huskies have recorded points in the NCAA Tournament in their careers, all last season. Lucas Meek leads the way with two assists, while Christian Soto has a goal and Charlie Ostrem has an assist. Ostrem, Dylan Teves, and Cole Grimsby are Washington most experienced postseason players, having all played in four NCAA Tournament games.

Sam Fowler has played three NCAA Tournament games for the Huskies. In that time, he has a 1.00 GAA and a .700 SV%. Fowler recorded a shutout in his first-ever NCAA Tournament game, against Boston College last year, then allowed one goal to Marshall and two goals to Georgetown.

Since Jamie Clark took the reigns in 2011, the Huskies have made eight NCAA Tournaments in ten years. The Huskies have advanced past the first round in five of those eight trips. Washington has never advanced farther than last year's NCAA Quarterfinals appearance, also doing so in 2013.

Eight players who appeared in that NCAA Quarterfinals game against Georgetown return this year, including five players who started in that game: Lucas Meek, Sam Fowler, Charlie Ostrem, Christian Soto, and Gio Miglietti. Dylan Teves, Cole Grimsby, and Imanol Rosales also appeared.

Make sure to follow the Huskies on social media at @UW_MSoccer.