The Top NCAA Women’s Soccer Programs in Each Region
There is no shortage of decorated NCAA women’s soccer programs around the country, but what teams dominate their region? It’s a question I wanted to answer with the season kicking into high gear and rivalries starting to rekindle. So I split the country into eight distinct pockets and prioritized deep tournament runs and recent success. It’ll be interesting to see which teams rise up this season and in the coming years, but for now, these are the best NCAA women’s soccer programs by region.
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New England – Harvard
A tricky region to pinpoint due to a lack of sustained excellence, I decided to give the Harvard Crimson the nod. Their 17 appearances in the NCAA tournament are enough of an accomplishment, but the program has found its grove in recent years, capturing five of the last ten Ivy League titles. Because of the demanding academic standard the university imposes that affects recruiting, it’s all the more impressive that they haven’t had a losing season since 2006.
📸 from our 2022 home-opening win!#GoCrimson #OneCrimson #NCAASoccer pic.twitter.com/aNlQOT69lM
— Harvard W Soccer (@Harvard_WSoccer) August 29, 2022
Reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Hannah Bebar, has the team off to a perfect spot to open the 2022 campaign with a chance to help usher in another boom period for the team. Coach Chris Hamblin is looking to win the league in back-to-back years for the first time under his tenure. Cambridge isn’t just home to a rich educational history but also a group of women looking to bring more hardware to the best program in the region.
Mid-Atlantic – Penn State
The Nittany Lions are under one of the more unprecedented runs in collegiate sports history, signified by a championship birth in 2012 and winning the national title in 2015. Since 1995, the program has not missed a trip to the NCAA tournament. During that same span, they have won their conference an unprecedented 20 times. Across a 3 season run that ended in 2006, the team won 31 straight games against Big Ten foes.
Ready to make some noise on the West Coast 💥🦁#WeAre pic.twitter.com/9TtcZ0IVkp
— Penn State Women’s Soccer (@PennStateWSOC) September 1, 2022
The list of player accolades reads like a laundry list, as you would expect for a group with this resume. Highlighted by former USWNT keeper Alyssa Naeher, the team has featured a First-Team All-American 26 times. With guaranteed tournament births featuring some of the best players in the country, few sides compare to Penn State.
Southeast – North Carolina
The standard bearer of excellence, one couldn’t imagine having a conversation about the sport without first mentioning the North Carolina Tar Heels. There’s an argument that this is the most decorated group, regardless of gender, in collegiate sports. While former North Carolina great Michael Jordan was completing his first three-peat on the hardwood, the lady Tar Heels were capping off one of their own while not losing a single game.
Led by coach Anson Dorance in his 46th season in Chapel Hill, the team has never missed a tournament or lost more than five games in a season. That also includes 21 national titles, by far the most in history. Moreover, it’s a streak of success that shows little signs of slowing down.
Last season was the first time the team failed to win a game in the NCAA Tournament under Dorance, suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of South Carolina. So how has this group responded to that? They’re off to another spotless start while outscoring opponents 13-0. No matter the season, this side will always have America’s attention.
Great Lakes – Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish seemingly have a deep-rooted history in everything, with women’s soccer no different. 3-time champions in their own right, this is another mainstay in the NCAA tournament. From 1993-2017 they made the big dance every year while also capturing 11 conference crowns.
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In 2014 talented Notre Dame midfielder Elizabeth Tucker made history for the sport when she became the first women’s soccer player to win the NCAA Woman of the Year award. Despite not having the same success since moving to the ACC in 2013, this team has only had one losing season in its history. Off to a dominant undefeated start this season, the Fighting Irish look to reach a title game for the first time since 2010.
Plains – Nebraska
Despite not having the tournament success as other teams on this list, Nebraska’s consistency in a region lacking soccer prowess gives them the edge. Of the 12 times, they’ve made the tournament as a program, they’ve advanced to eight Sweet 16’s – making the most of their opportunities. All this success has come under coach John Walker, the only head coach in team history.
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The Cornhuskers have been a hotbed for premier Canadian talent, with ten former players representing the nation in the World Cup. That group includes the great Christine Sinclair – the national team’s all-time leader in both caps and goals since her time in Lincoln. Having players achieve more success after college is an integral part of a program, and Nebraska has embodied that in its 28-year history.
Southwest – Texas A&M
A regular season powerhouse, the Aggies have made every NCAA Tournament since 1995. Another program with only one coach in its history, G Guerrieri has had his Aggies consistently ranked in the top 25 for over two decades.
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Guerrieri has also achieved what every A&M team aims to do: outshine Texas. During their time together in the Big 12, the Aggies won more conference championships, made more tournaments, and had better season finishes.
Rocky Mountains – BYU
The weakest region in the country, the BYU Cougars earn their spot due to 19 tournament births in the past 22 years. They have owned the West Coast Conference and have consistently been a top-ranked team in the country.
Jennifer Rockwood has won over 70% of her games during her 27 years at the helm and has made this program a national power. Ranked in the top 10 yet again, the Cougars are trying to capture their first title, something they were on the cusp of accomplishing a year ago.
Far West – Stanford
Outside North Carolina, California is the next best hub for collegiate women’s soccer. UCLA is a viable second place, but few programs have the hardware of Stanford. The best team of the 2010s, the Cardinal made 4 title games, winning 3. They’ve achieved this success in large part for their nack of finding world-class talent.
The team has turned out six Herman Trophy Winners, which includes legends Christine Press and Kelley O’Hara. Since 1995, the team has also not had a season without at least one woman achieving Pac-12 First Team honors. Furthermore, they’ve had the player of the year in the conference at every position within the last decade. They start the year highly ranked again and are a favorite to win another conference title.
Featured image via @aggiessoccer on Instagram
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