The 2017 NCAA Tournament kicked off Friday night, with 15 of the first round’s 32 matches being played on the tournament’s opening day. Here’s a quick recap of all of Friday night’s tournament action.
South Carolina 3-0 Alabama State
The No. 1 seed South Carolina Gamecocks took an early lead and never looked back, easily defeated Alabama State, 3-0. Freshman forward Ryan Gareis scored the first goal of the 2017 NCAA tournament in the third minute of the contest, and her goal would be the eventual game winner.
Although Gareis opened up the Gamecocks’ scoring account, sophomore Elexa Bahr had the most productive evening. In the 21st minute, the forward assisted on Bianca Galassini’s goal, before knocking in a Lindsey Lane corner kick to add a goal of her own.
South Carolina will next host the Wisconsin Badgers in the second round.
Auburn 1-0 Hofstra
Bri Folds scored the lone goal in Auburn’s 1-0 tournament win over Hofstra. (photo courtesy Auburn Athletics)
A second-half goal gave Auburn the 1-0 win over Hofstra, ending the Pride’s 14-game undefeated streak and eliminating them in the first round of the national tournament.
After a scoreless first half in which Auburn enjoyed a 7-3 advantage in shots, sophomore Bri Folds finally capitalized in the 64th minute, scoring a left-footed strike from the top of the box off a Kristen Dodson assist. The goal was Folds’ fourth on the season and enough to keep the Tigers, who fell to 2016 National Champions USC in last year’s Elite Eight, alive for another week.
Auburn will now face the winner of Friday night’s first-round match between Stanford and Utah Valley.
Florida 3-1 South Alabama
The third-seed Florida Gators were unable to get the shutout, but they were able to get the win, defeating South Alabama, 3-1, to advance to next weekend’s second round.
Florida’s and USA’s defenses battled throughout the first half, keeping the game deadlocked until the 34th minute when junior midfielder Sarah Troccoli sent a cross to the near post, where it was tapped in by freshman forward Madison Alexander. Melanie Monteagudo then doubled the Gators’ lead just before the half, scoring an unassisted goal from about 18 yards out.
While you are waiting for action to start again, take a ? at @itss_mellll goal just before halftime.
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Monteagudo and Troccoli once again worked some attacking magic in the second half, with Monteagudo assisting Troccoli’s insurance goal in the 55th minute. Junior goalkeeper Kaylan Marckese was unable to preserve the clean sheet, conceding a goal to Audrey Duran in the 85th minute for the final goal of the match. With the win, the Gators will now take on the winner of Saturday’s match between South Florida and FGCU.
Ohio State 1-2 Vanderbilt
In the first upset of the 2017 national tournament, the Vanderbilt Commodores scored a last-minute goal to defeat the No. 4 seed Ohio State Buckeyes, 2-1. Ohio State went up a goal in the 30th minute courtesy of junior Sarah Roberts, but Nia Dorsey pulled the Commodores back level in the 62nd minute.
The game looked destined for overtime, but in the final minute of regulation, Vanderbilt earned a corner kick, which was taken by freshman Leila Azari. Azari’s service went to junior Stephanie Amack, who headed the set piece ball in for a last-minute game winner.
The Buckeyes go home early, while the Commodores move on to the second round, where they’ll take on the winner of Saturday’s match between California and Santa Clara.
Baylor 3, Rice 2
After a couple of lead changes, Baylor emerged victorious over Rice thanks to a second half goal. The visiting Owls got off to a hot start when Marissa Topolski took off down the left side of the field and played a ball into the box. The Bears failed to clear and Aliza Wolfe had an easy finish from point-blank range. Baylor quickly answered back scoring not one but two goals, in a less than minute span eight minutes later. Precious Akanyirige tied it up with a goal off a corner kick and Aline De Lima added the other with a low driven ball.
De Lima’s goal wouldn’t go down as the game winner though, as Rice knotted the game at two, a little over ten minutes into the second. Nia Stallings sent a cross into Erin Mikeska and Mikeska took a shot towards the left corner. Baylor’s Jennifer Wandt dove for but was unable to come up with it. The Bears would regain the lead, this time for good, in the 74th minute. Padgett tallied the game-winner from when she took a shot the top of the box. Baylor will face the winner of USC- Eastern Washington.
Texas 3-0 North Texas
Cyera Hintzen scored a double to lead Texas past North Texas in the NCAA tournament opening round. (photo courtesy Texas Athletics)
Cyera Hintzen recorded a brace as the Longhorns easily beat North Texas 3-0. Haley Berg assisted Hintzen’s first tally and recorded one of her own in the contest. Hintzen opened scoring in the 20th minute of play when she fired a shot from 14 yards out Berg set up the play as she made a nifty move to get around a defender and laid the ball off to Hintzen.
Berg then added one of her own in the 29th minute when she finished a one v one opportunity from just over 10 yards out. Hintzen wrapped up scoring in the 68th minute when she got on the end of a long ball by Atu Mshana. Texas ended the match with 15 shots to North Texas’ 6. The Longhorns now advance to face Clemson.
Clemson 2, Alabama 1
Clemson scored in a five-minute span to beat Alabama 2-1 Friday night. All three goals in the contest were scored in an eleven-minute span in the second half. Alabama Casey Wertz scored first in the 68th minute when a miscue by the Clemson backline left her ample opportunity to knock the ball into the back of the net. Emma Welch was credited with the assist.
Clemson answered by five minutes later through freshman sensation Mariana Speckmaier. Speckmaier took a shot from about eight yards out on a feed from Jenna Polonsky. In the 78th minute, the Tigers took the lead off a set piece. Sam Staab’s corner kick was headed just into the goal by Dani Antieau. Clemson will face Texas in the second round next Friday.
Florida State 5-0 Ole Miss
Deyna Castellanos led Florida State’s offense in their NCAA tournament shutout of Ole Miss. (photo by Joe Rondone, courtesy of Florida State Athletics)
The fourth-seeded Florida State Seminoles convincingly defeated the Ole Miss Rebels, 5-0, to advance to next week’s second round. Although Ole Miss has been one of the top offenses in the country all year, the Seminole defense prevented the Rebs from getting on the board throughout the contest, with Cassie Miller earning her seventh clean sheet of the season.
On the other half of the field, Florida State’s attack was putting in work, scoring five goals on the night to move on to the next round. FIFA Best Women’s Player of 2017 Finalist Deyna Castellanos led the Seminole offense, scoring a double in the contest’s first half. Dallas Dorosy, Kaycie Tillman, and Gabby Carle all contributed goals in the second half to round out Florida State’s scoring.
The Seminoles will now face the winner of Friday night’s match between Arizona and TCU.
Penn State 7-0 Stony Brook
No. 3 seed Penn State earned the biggest win of the night so far, defeating American East Conference Champs Stony Brook, 7-0.
The Nittany Lions were led by sophomore forward/midfielder Laura Freigang, who scored a hat trick in 27 minutes to give the home team a 4-0 lead at the half, while freshman Frankie Tagliaferri scored a second-half brace in a 49-second span to round out scoring for the night. Frankie Crouse and Charlotte Williams contributed singles on the night as well.
The Nittany Lions will next host Wake Forest in next weekend’s second round of play.
Wake Forest 0-0 Georgetown
Ninety minutes of regulation without a goal sent the Top 25 showdown between Wake Forest and Georgetown to the first penalty kick shootout of this year’s tournament, and the Deacs outshot the Hoyas, 2-1, to advance.
The shootout got off to a bad start for the Hoyas, with Rachel Corboz’s penalty attempt saved by Wake Forest goalkeeper Nonie Frishette. Maddie Huster then converted to put the Deacs up, 1-0, but a Meaghan Nally shot to the upper 90 combined with Arielle Schecthman’s save of Hannah Betfort’s attempt tied things up at one goal apiece. Georgetown’s Taylor Pak deflected her shot off the crossbar, but Wake Forest’s Bayley Feist found the back of the net to give the home side the 2-1 advantage. The following three shots, two for Georgetown and one for Wake Forest, were all saved by the keepers, giving the Demon Deacons the win in penalties.
They will now take on No. 3 seed Penn State in the tournament’s second round.
Wisconsin 5-0 Toledo
Grace Douglas scored her first two career goals in Wisconsin’s 5-0 win over Toledo. (photo courtesy Wisconsin Athletics)
After a scoreless first half, the Wisconsin Badgers opened the scoring floodgates, putting away five unanswered goals in just 19 minutes to defeat Toledo, 5-0. The Badgers’ five goals are the most scored in an NCAA tournament match in program history.
Sophomore defender Grace Douglas opened up scoring with her first career goal before adding a second a few moments later. Freshman striker Lauren Rice next found her way onto the board, with sophomores Jordan McNeese and Allie Winterfield getting into the scoring action as well.
With the win, Wisconsin advances to the second round of the tournament, where they will take on No. 1 seed South Carolina.
Texas A&M 1-0 Lamar
The Aggies advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament on an own goal. The only tally of the night occurred in the eighth minute of play when Ally Watt went end line and sent a ball into the box. The cross ricocheted off the back of a Lamar defender and into the back of the net.
Texas A&M put the ball just about everywhere Friday night but the net including the underside of the crossbar and just over it several times. Watt was active all night and had several of the Aggies’ best opportunities. She recorded six of Texas A&M’s 20 shots in the contest. Lamar keeper Lauren Lovejoy made nine saves including several that kept her side within striking distance.
Texas A&M will play the winner of Notre Dame IUPUI in the second round next Friday.
Princeton 4-0 Monmouth
Junior Mimi Asom scored two and assisted a third as the Tigers handily beat Monmouth 4-0. Asom’s first goal came just six minutes into the contest as she beat a defender, turned to face goal and fired a shot into the back of the net. Asom would play the provider on the second goal as she chipped a ball into the penalty area for Abby Givens, who easily finished from close range.
The Tigers’ third goal came when Asom pounced on a loose ball inside the box, turned quickly and rocketed a shot past the Monmouth Keeper Amanda Knaub. Carolyne Davidson rounded out the scoring in the 71st minute of play. Vanessa Gregoire, who made key plays throughout the night to jump-start the Princeton attack, fed a ball across the box to Davidson, who merely had to tap it home for the score.
The Tigers will face the winners of Arkansas and NC State in the next round of play.
Arizona 2-1 TCU
The Arizona Wildcats launched a second-half comeback that saw them outlast TCU, 2-1, courtesy of goals from Samantha Falasco and Cali Crisler.
TCU got on the board first in the 32nd minute when they were awarded a free kick about 35 yards from the goal. Kayla Hill took the free kick, sending it in front of goal, where Tijana Djuricek headed it to Emma Heckendorn. Heckendorn half-volleyed the ball into the back of the net for the Horned Frogs’ first ever NCAA tournament goal.
The Frogs were unable to hold onto the lead though, giving up a pair of goals in the second half. Falasco scored off a Gabi Stoian corner kick in the 71st minute, and 10 minutes later Crisler scored on a screamer from distance for the game-winning goal.
Arizona will next face No. 4 seed Florida State in the tournament’s second round.
UCLA 3- 1 SDSU
UCLA celebrates their 3-1 win over SDSU Friday night. (photo courtesy UCLA Athletics)
MacKenzie Cerda notched a goal and assist in the second half to lead the Bruins over San Diego State. UCLA never trailed in the match but the Aztec did fight back after going down two tallies to keep it competitive.
UCLA got its first goal in the contest in the 16th minute when Anika Rodriguez scored on a directly off a free kick. The chance was set up after San Diego State committed a foul about 22 yards from goal. Rodriguez rocketed the ball into the upper right corner of the net. San Diego State’s Gabby English had no chance of keeping the well-struck ball out of harm’s way.
Despite having much of the run of play, the Bruins failed to extend the lead in the first half of play. Eleven minutes into the second half, Julia Hernandez scored the eventual game-winner off an excellent service from Cerda. Cerda sent a ball in from the top of the penalty box that Hernandez headed in for the score.
Nine minutes later, the Aztecs struck back in the 63rd minute, when Mia Root forced a turnover by the Bruins and fired a stunner from just outside the 18. The top shelf finish was well out of the reach of UCLA’s Teagan Micah. Just over a minute later, San Diego State would have a chance to tie as the speedy Aliyah Utush took a shot but it went wide of goal.
On the last goal of the night, Cerda received the ball near the top of the box and got the defender off balance and curled a shot into the back of the net. The highlight reel worthy goal was scored in the 85th minute. UCLA now advances to the second round of the tournament. The Bruins’ opponent will be the winner of the Northwestern- Butler game.
Be sure to check back tomorrow as The Equalizer continues covering the 2017 NCAA Tournament action.
