Sweet Sixteen Sees Huskies Take On #2 North Carolina

CARY, N.C. - For the fifth time in program history, the Washington Huskies are playing in the Sweet Sixteen, this time taking on #2 North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament third round. A win would send the Huskies to the Elite Eight for just the third time ever and first time since 2010. The matchup with North Carolina will take place Wednesday, May 5, at 12:00 pm PT.

CAN'T SCORE ON SEKANY
Olivia Sekany lowered her GAA to 0.59, the lowest full-season GAA in program history. The lowest GAA for a completed season in Washington history is 0.68, held by Hope Solo in 2001. Sekany is now on a 579-minute shutout streak, the longest of her career and longest by a Husky since 1991. Only two other Husky keepers ever have had shutout streaks of 500+ minutes: Sarah Shimer in 2017 and Tamara Browder in 1991.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Washington has recorded five consecutive shutouts entering the Sweet Sixteen, including three games that have gone into at least a second overtime period. Washington last had five consecutive shutouts in 2017, though none of those games went over 90 minutes. Washington has not had more than five consecutive shutouts since 1991, when it ended the year with seven consecutive shutouts. This is also the first time since 2014 Washington has had back-to-back shutouts in the NCAA Tournament. Washington has only once had three straight NCAA Tournament shutouts, in 2004.

PK STANDS FOR PENALTY KEEPER
Olivia Sekany scored the game-winning penalty kick in the second round, sending the Huskies to the next round. Sekany is the second Husky keeper ever to score in PKs, joining Jorde LaFontaine-Kussman, who did so in 2010 as the Huskies defeated Portland 10-9 in PKs. Sekany is the second keeper to score in PKs this NCAA Tournament, along with Rutgers' Meagan McClelland. The last keeper to win the game with a goal in PKs was Stanford's Jane Campbell, who did so in 2014 in the national semifinals.

SCORE EARLY
Ameera Hussen scored the fastest NCAA Tournament goal in Husky history to start the first round. Hussen scored at 1:07 against Libery to take the lead. The previous fastest NCAA Tournament goal had come in 2010, when Sarah Martinez scored at 2:45. Washington had not had a faster goal scored since 2015, when Shannon Simon scored 26 seconds into a 2-1 win over Portland. Washington had only scored one goal before the 17th minute this year: Ruby Hellstrom's seventh-minute goal against Washington State.

SCORE OFTEN
The Huskies won 3-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, its biggest margin of victory in a postseason game since beating Oklahoma 4-0 in 2010. Only three times have the Huskies had bigger wins than that 3-0 win over Liberty: in 4-0 over Oklahoma in 2010, 5-0 over Birmingham-Southern in 2004, and 5-0 over Montana in 2000. Washington led for 88:53 in the win, its longest time leading in a single game since 2013, when the Huskies led for 88:58 in a 2-1 win over Oregon.

THE STRENGTH OF THE DAWG IS THE PACK
The first-round win saw three different Huskies score, just the fifth time the Huskies have had three or more different players score in a postseason game. The Huskies have now had four different players score their last five goals. Over the last three games, seven different Huskies have recorded at least one point. Eight different Huskies have recorded multiple points this year.

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