2011 Horizon League Women's Soccer Tournament Bracket | Tournament Central
Two wins separate one of four Horizon League teams from a berth in the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament. Starting on Friday afternoon, Wright State, Detroit, Butler and Milwaukee will all be battling to reach Sunday's League Championship, where just a solid 90 minutes (or longer) would stand between the continuation of the season. All three matches at Engelmann Stadium will be carried live on the Horizon League Network.
Match 3: Wright State vs. Detroit - 5 p.m. ET, Horizon League Network
On Oct. 5, Wright State (9-7-3, 3-3-2 Horizon) was scuffling, having lost its third straight match, two of which had come in Horizon League play. However, the Raiders righted the ship, reeling off three straight wins in League play to solidify its spot in the League Tournament. The third of those victories came at Detroit, where Wright State downed the Titans, 1-0, on Oct. 19.
In that match, it was I'esha King converting a cross from Adrianna Guerrero in the 19th minute as Wright State controlled the run of play in the first half. While Detroit pushed the pace in the second half, Brooke McCurdy was strong in net to post the shutout.
McCurdy turned in a shutout in Tuesday's first round win at Cleveland State, getting some help from the post in the final 20 seconds to preserve the 1-0 win. The sophomore will be tasked with coordinating a defensive effort to stymie the highest-scoring team in the Horizon League. Detroit finished with 44 goals on the season, collecting nine goals in eight Horizon League matches.
Match 4: Butler at Milwaukee - 8 p.m. ET, Horizon League Network
A year after meeting in the Horizon League Championship, Butler (3-5-0, 8-9-2 Horizon) will look for a measure of revenge at No. 15 Milwaukee (16-2-0, 8-0-0 Horizon) in Friday's nightcap.
Milwaukee rolled past Butler, 5-0, in that championship game in 2010, and downed the Bulldogs, 4-1, earlier this season. In that match, Sarah Hagen did was Sarah Hagen does: score goals. Hagen had two of her 22 goals in the match, while Natalie Fettinger made six saves in her lone career start.
Once again, Butler will have to slow down the stout Milwaukee offense. Hagen had 12 of the Panthers' 28 goals in Horizon League play; on her own, Hagen outscored every team in the conference. However, containing, Hagen, Keara Thompson and one of the best midfields in the country is easier said than done.
Offensively, the Bulldogs will turn to first team honoree Katie Griswold and second team pick Elise Kotsakis to carry the team. The duo combined for 12 of Butler's 25 goals in the regular season. It was Griswold who assisted on Rachel Scott's goal on Tuesday, fueling Butler's comeback from a 2-0 deficit to advance past Valparaiso in penalty kicks.
The winners will meet on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m. ET for the Horizon League Women's Soccer Championship and autobid to the NCAA Tournament.
Tags: Butler - Women's Soccer · Detroit Mercy - Women's Soccer · Horizon League - Women's Soccer · Milwaukee - Women's Soccer · Wright State - Women's Soccer
