4 Recent Season-Altering Upsets in NCAA Women’s Soccer
This NCAA women’s soccer season has been entertaining, with the underdogs taking the lead and some top teams eliminated from the tournament. Every year, the rankings seem to shift, and, of course, scores are unpredictable. Here are some of the most season-altering upsets in NCAA women’s soccer.
Duke vs. Louisville
View this post on Instagram
One of the most shocking upsets was Duke women’s soccer’s loss to the University of Louisville. This loss contributed to their fast season conclusion. The score was 1-0, but despite the loss, Duke had plenty of chances, including a shot off the crossbar and a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Near the end of the first half, the underdogs, Louisville, made an impressive play that resulted in the one and only left-footed goal.
To add to that, Duke additionally lost to their rivals, the University of North Carolina, 4-0. What makes this upset incredibly surprising is Duke’s stacked history of success in the NCAA tournament and their shocking inability to get there this season.
Santa Clara vs. USF
View this post on Instagram
Another fascinating upset is Santa Clara’s loss to the University of San Francisco, not once but twice this season. The first loss was to Santa Clara, 1-0, and the second took place in San Francisco for a 3-0 loss, further putting them into a deeper hole. USF has definitely shown up this season hungry for a win, and they did exactly that against No.13 spot, Santa Clara.
UNC vs. Pitt
View this post on Instagram
On October 29, 2023, Pitt beat UNC 2-1, taking down the No.3 spot. The score stood 0-0 until the last 18 minutes of the game with a cross and header goal from Pitt. UNC ended up tying it up, but in the last two minutes, Pitt put another header right into the back of the net. The game was super entertaining, with high-intensity final minutes, the perfect combination for an upset.
UCLA vs. UCI
View this post on Instagram
The most recent upset was one that occurred on Friday, November 11, at UCLA’s home stadium. This was an astonishing win for UCI after taking down the reigning champs of the NCAA tournament 1-0 in the first round. The game was incredibly close and intense. Both teams played with so much heart until the very last second. It will be interesting to see how far UCI makes it in this tournament with such a fantastic start and after beating UCLA for the second time in two years.
Featured image via @uciwsoc
_
GIRLS SOCCER NETWORK: YOUR SOURCE FOR GIRLS SOCCER NEWS
Girls Soccer Network
Your source for girls soccer news
