It took extra time and then some to determine the champions of the 2019 Division I women's soccer season, but after a thrilling and defensively dominated match, Stanford has emerged the winner of this year's College Cup.
The Cardinal seemed to dominate play throughout regulation and overtime, outshooting North Carolina 21-12 with 14 corners and six shots on goal. The offensive control bled over into the penalty shootout, as Stanford notched 5 conversions to Carolina's 4.
STANFORD WINS THE COLLEGE CUP ‼️#WCollegeCup | @stanfordwsoccer pic.twitter.com/pXXmOXzzPT
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 9, 2019
Stanford's goalkeeper Katie Meyer set the tone early by stopping Carolina's first attempt. The Cardinal star Catarina Macario then took over from there, notching Stanford's first goal of the shootout.
CHAMPIONSHIP INFO: View the 2019 bracket | Buy tickets | Broadcast schedule | Scoreboard
The Tar Heels started to regain momentum in the shootout when goalie Claudia Dickey rocketed her PK right down the pipe and then saved Carley Malatskey's PK to level the shootout up at 3-3.
Meyer then makes the save of her life when she kept the score even at 4-4. It was Kiara Pickett who sealed the deal for the Cardinal to give Stanford the 5-4 edge in PKs.
SHOP CHAMPIONSHIP GEAR: Buy 2019 official Stanford women's soccer College Cup gear
Stanford beats North Carolina for the 2019 College Cup in a 5-4 penalty shootout. All updates below:
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — End of second OT period
For the first time in NCAA championship history, the College Cup final finishes overtime scoreless. To penalty kicks, UNC and Stanford go. The two overtime periods had a variety of close-calls, but neither defense broke.
🤯 THAT. CLOSE.#WCollegeCup | @stanfordwsoccer pic.twitter.com/Ih0FZwVr1o
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 9, 2019
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — End of first OT period
The Tar Heels and the Cardinal remain scoreless in San Jose after one period of overtime. Stanford continues to be more dominant on the offensive end though, leading the shot score 18-9.
Onto 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. ⏰#WCollegeCup pic.twitter.com/df1aeZSGH2
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 9, 2019
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — End of regulation
Stanford and North Carolina end up tied after the end of regulation. This is the first time Stanford has bee shutout at the end of regulation. The first team to score in overtime will win the cup. If they remain scoreless after the two 10-minute periods of extra time, the two teams will face off via penalty kicks. This is the first match that has gone into overtime for Stanford. North Carolina is 1-0-2 in OT.
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — 81'
Macario slashing through the North Carolina defense fires one just past the goal. Stanford can taste it, but can't quite convert.
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — 75'
Stanford continues to knock on the door, as the Cardinal have racked up 12 shots in the match so far. They have found play through their star Catarina Macario but still haven't found the back of the net.
Stanford knocking on the door in the second half.#WCollegeCup | @stanfordwsoccer pic.twitter.com/V8vKts4KuR
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 9, 2019
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — 65'
Still scoreless in San Jose, as both teams continue to back and forth. Stanford has now completed its 10th corner kick on the night, compared to UNC's two. The Cardinal also lead in shots 10-6.
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — 53'
On the counter-attack, Alessia Russo couldn't knock the loose ball into the back of the net for the Tar Heels. Stanford escapes that defensive lapse.
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — 50'
Stanford started the second half the way they started the first, attack attack attack. The Cardinal notched their seventh corner kick, with Carolina getting their first and second corner of the match. Still locked 0-0.
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — Halftime
North Carolina heads into the locker room with a head full of confidence despite being tied with Stanford 0-0. This is only the third time this season the Cardinal has remained scoreless in the first half.
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — 40'
The Cardinal and the Tar Heels continue to go back and forth, as this College Cup final remains scoreless. Stanford seems to be offensively dominant thus far, leading in corner kicks 6-0.
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — 34'
Stanford's Sophia Smith, who scored a hat-trick versus UCLA in the semi-finals, fires a shot to the lower corner of the goal, but the Tar Heels were saved by their goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. Still locked 0-0.
Sophia Smith's attempt is stopped by North Carolina. 🧤#WCollegeCup | @uncwomenssoccer pic.twitter.com/UQLfBi2Meu
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 9, 2019
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — 30'
The chess match continues between the two squads. The Tar Heels have notched a shot on goal, thanks to Bridgette Andrzejewski. Stanford still leads in shot totals 4-1.
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — 20'
North Carolina's incremental offense has been a nice response to Stanford's early pressure. The Cardinal are leading in shots 4-0 so far in the College Cup final.
College Cup Final | Stanford 0, UNC 0 — 10'
Stanford has been off to a fast-paced start, as their attack has caught the Tar Heels by surprise. Although the score is still locked up 0-0, the Cardinal look to be quite dangerous early.
College Cup Final | Pregame
What a scene. 👏#WCollegeCup pic.twitter.com/eRcmlvPQzj
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 9, 2019
North Carolina enters tonight's College Cup final seeking their 22nd national championship. All 21 of their titles have come under the tenure of their legendary head coach Anson Dorrance. Stanford will be seeking its third national title tonight. They are led by defending MAC Hermann award winner and the leading goal-scorer in DI women's soccer, Catarina Macario (32).
Check out the starting lineups for both teams below:
XI 👇@kdmeyer19 @naomi_girma @madog_9 @bellebriede
— Stanford Women's Soccer (@StanfordWSoccer) December 9, 2019
@cmalatskey @sophsssmith @MayaDoms @kwesley22 @samhiatt16 @catarinamacario @kiki33pickett #GoStanford #NextStartsNow pic.twitter.com/yheR7nKPj4
Here’s how the Tar Heels will line up to start the #WCollegeCup final.
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 9, 2019
Kickoff is 20 minutes away on ESPNU!#GoHeels pic.twitter.com/dX6XRpzFqg
College Cup Semifinal recap
The Tar Heels advanced on a 2-1 win over Washington State. UNC and WSU came from different soccer backgrounds as the Tar Heels entered the 2019 College Cup having won 21 national championships while Friday marked the Cougars' first College Cup appearance.
Stanford and UCLA met in the second semifinal, a matchup that featured two of the top offenses in both the Pac-12 and Division I. The Bruins were on the board first on a seventh-minute goal by Chloe Castaneda. However, the Cardinal responded with four unanswered scores to win the match 4-1.
UCLA led for 85 seconds before Sophia Smith equalized with the first of her three goals. Carley Malatskey's tenth tally of the season put Stanford ahead before Smith netted a brace in the 31st minute and ultimately a hat trick in the 52nd. The Cardinal won the rematch of the 2017 College Cup final and now have a chance on Sunday to win a second national title in three years.
HAT TRICK SMITH 🎩
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 7, 2019
Sophia Smith puts Stanford up 4-1 on UCLA!#WCollegeCup | @stanfordwsoccer pic.twitter.com/Eibguu3qap
2019 NCAA DI women's soccer tournament: Bracket
For a high-resolution image of the bracket click here.
2019 NCAA DI women's soccer tournament: Schedule, scores, how to watch
CHAMPIONSHIP (Sunday, Dec. 8)
SEMIFINALS (Friday, Dec. 6) — at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California
QUARTERFINALS (Friday, Nov. 29)
- No. 2 UCLA 4, No. 1 Florida State 0
- No. 1 Stanford 5, No. 2 BYU 1
- No. 1 North Carolina 3, No. 2 Southern California 2
- Washington State 1, No. 2 South Carolina 0
THIRD ROUND (Sunday, Nov. 24)
- No. 1 North Carolina 4, Michigan 0
- No. 1 Florida State 2, South Florida 1
- No. 2 South Carolina 2, No. 3 Kansas 0
- No. 1 Stanford 2, No. 4 Penn State 0
- No. 2 Southern California 1, Santa Clara 0
- Washington State 3, West Virginia 0
- No. 2 UCLA 2, No. 3 Wisconsin 0
THIRD ROUND (Saturday, Nov. 23)
THIRD ROUND (Sunday, Nov. 24)
- No. 1 North Carolina 4, Michigan 0
- No. 1 Florida State 2, South Florida 1
- No. 2 South Carolina 2, No. 3 Kansas 0
- No. 1 Stanford 2, No. 4 Penn State 0
- No. 2 Southern California 1, Santa Clara 0
- Washington State 3, West Virginia 0
- No. 2 UCLA 2, No. 3 Wisconsin 0
SECOND ROUND (Friday, Nov. 22)
- South Florida 2, No. 4 Washington 0
- Santa Clara 3, No. 3 Oklahoma State 1
- No. 3 Kansas 3, Xavier 0
- Michigan 3, No. 4 Texas Tech 2
- West Virginia 1, Central Connecticut State 0
- No. 2 Southern California 2, Texas A&M 1
- No. 1 Florida State 2, Brown 0
- No. 1 North Carolina 1, Colorado 0
- No. 2 South Carolina 1, Notre Dame 0
- No. 4 Penn State 4, Arizona 3
- Washington State 3, No. 1 Virginia 2
- No. 3 Wisconsin 1, Duke 0
- No. 1 Stanford 4, Hofstra 0
- No. 2 UCLA 5, Clemson 0
SECOND ROUND (Thursday, Nov. 21)
FIRST ROUND (Friday, Nov. 15)
- Clemson 1, Vanderbilt 0
- Xavier 1, Virginia Tech 0
- No. 4 Penn State 3, Stony Brook 1
- Louisville 1, Lipscomb 0
- Duke 4, Utah 0
- No. 3 Wisconsin 1, Milwaukee 0
- N.C. State 3, Navy 0
- South Florida 4, Florida 2
- Central Connecticut State 1, No. 4 Rutgers 0
- Michigan 2, Bowling Green 1
- No. 3 Arkansas 3, North Texas 0
- Texas A&M 4, Texas 1
- No. 4 Texas Tech 2, Pepperdine 2 (PKs)
- No. 2 BYU 5, Boise State 1
- Washington State 1, Memphis 0
- No. 3 Oklahoma State 1, South Dakota State 0
- No. 2 UCLA 4, Lamar 1
- No. 1 Stanford 15, Prairie View A&M 0
FIRST ROUND (Saturday, Nov. 16)
- West Virginia 2, Georgetown 0
- Brown 0, Monmouth 0 (PKs)
- Hofstra 1, Loyola Chicago 0 (OT)
- Colorado 6, Northern Colorado 0
- Santa Clara 1, California 0 (OT)
- No. 2 Southern Cal 5, CSU Fullerton 1
- No. 1 Florida State 2, South Alabama 0
- No. 1 North Carolina 5, Belmont 0
- No. 2 South Carolina 3, Samford 0
- No. 3 Kansas 1, Iowa 0
- No. 1 Virginia 3, Radford 0
- Arizona 1, TCU 0
- Washington 1, Seattle U 0
FIRST ROUND (Sunday, Nov. 17)
Here is the complete schedule by round:
NOTE: All times ET
2019 Division I women's soccer championship: How to watch
Only the two semifinals and national championship game will be broadcast. All three games will be on ESPNU.
Bracket Breakdown
Stanford's region breakdown
Other teams in Stanford's quadrant of the bracket include Big Ten champion and No. 4 seed Penn State, SEC runner-up No. 3 seed Arkansas and the only undefeated team left in women's college soccer No. 2 seed BYU.
The Cardinal finished their season as strong as they could — they won 13 straight matches and finished conference play undefeated in the Pac-12. Stanford will most likely face their first real test in the third round if the Nittany Lions can get there. Penn State started off the season a little slow, including opening the season with a 2-1 loss to Stanford. Now they are a force to be reckoned with, riding a nine-match winning streak with a Big Ten crown on their heads, the Nittany Lions could face a Stanford team led by defending MAC Hermann award winner and the Division I leader in assists Catarina Macario. Macario also leads the country in points (64) with 23 goals and 18 assists.
On the opposite side of the region No. 2 seed, BYU will face an early test in Mountain West champion Boise State. It'll be a battle between two top-10 goal scorers in the Elise Flake from BYU (18 goals) and Raimee Sherle from Boise State (16 goals).
SEC runner-up No. 3 seed Arkansas also sits on that side of the bracket. The Razorbacks are coming off of a 1-0 loss to South Carolina in the SEC championship game, but their reputation as the only team to beat powerhouse North Carolina this year should send shivers down the spine of any opponent they face.
Louisville could also make noise in this region. The Cardinals have been ranked as high as No. 12 in the United Soccer coaches rankings this year and could play BYU as early as the second round.
Florida State's region breakdown
Florida State shares its quadrant with No. 2 seed UCLA, No. 3 seed Wisconsin and No. 4 seed Washington. The Seminoles could see a test in Brown in the second round. The Bears emerged as Ivy League champions and sat at No. 17 in the latest edition of the United Soccer Coaches rankings.
On UCLA's side of the bracket, the No. 2 seed could see a potential challenger in Lamar in the first round. The Southland champions currently have one of the best weapons in the game of college women's soccer — Esther Okoronkwo. She leads the nation in goals scored (25). The road doesn't get easier for the Bruins, as they'll face either Clemson or Vanderbilt if they make it to the second round. The Tigers and Commodores were at one point threats to make a challenge for their respective conference crowns.
Another team to keep an eye on in this region is South Florida. The Bulls are led by Evelyn Viens, who is one of the top-scoring forwards in the game right now. She has 20 goals on the year. USF also just won the AAC, a conference that had No. 8 Memphis' name written all over it throughout the season.
FALL CHAMPIONSHIPS: Full NCAA.com fall selection show schedule | Future championship sites
Virginia's region breakdown
Virginia, who is fresh off their first loss of the season versus North Carolina in the ACC championship game, might have gotten the toughest draw of any of the other No. 1 seeds. If the Cavs can get past their first-round matchup in Radford, they'll face the winner of Washington State and Memphis. Remember Memphis? The team who was No. 8 in the land prior tho the AAC tournament? The team who was a couple of goals away from potentially being considered for a top-three seed? Yeah, that team might play Virginia as early as the second round. I'm not sure who might need more luck, Memphis or Virginia.
On the flip side of the bracket, South Carolina and Kansas sit as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds respectively. The SEC and Big 12 champions could play each other in the third round but will have to get past a couple of challengers first. The Gamecocks open play up against Southern conference champions Samford, as the Jayhawks face a foe out of the Big Ten in Iowa. With a seemingly simple path for South Carolina and Kansas, Xavier is a team to keep an eye on that side of the bracket, and as a sleeper team in general. The Musketeers are on a seven-match win streak including plowing through the Big East tournament where they shutout both Villanova and Georgetown 2-0. Xavier could meet Kansas in the second round.
North Carolina's region breakdown
North Carolina dethroned No. 1 Virginia in the ACC championship game to give the Hoos their first loss of the season. The Tar Heels are joined by Southern Cal, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech as the No. 2, 3 and 4 seeds respectively.
Looking at USC's side of the bracket, they'll face Big West champion Cal State Fullerton before potentially facing either Texas or Texas A&M. The battle between the Aggies and Longhorns is an intriguing one, as both squads were considered to have the talent be key competitors in the respective conferences and nationally. Texas is led by Haley Berg and Julia Grosso who have 25 and 23 points on the season respectively. A&M has Ally Watt and Jimena Lopez a pair of players who complement each other's games. Watt has 15 goals on the season, as Lopez has 13 assists.
Other teams who could make some noise in this region are Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. The Red Raiders and Cowgirls were supposed to meet each other in the Big 12 final, but due to late-game heroics by Kansas against Oklahoma State and an upset by TCU over Texas Tech, the two fell short. Looking to bounce back, this pair of 2 and 3 seeds will face a tough road to the College Cup with Southern Cal and North Carolina more than likely waiting for them in their third-round matches.
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS: Find out all the teams who automatically qualified for the tournament
Selection show and tournament breakdown
The NCAA tournament field is made up of 64 teams, with 31 of those teams being automatic qualifiers. Automatic qualifiers obtain their bid by winning their respective conferences. Three AQs are granted to the regular-season champions of the Ivy League, Pac-12 and West Coast Conference since these three conferences don't have tournaments.
The other 33 teams who did not win their conference are chosen on an at-large basis by the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee.
Below are the conferences that receive automatic bids into the NCAA tournament. Each conference title is linked with a bracket or championship hub for that respective conference.
(Note: Most early-round matches will take place at the campus of the higher-seeded team. The sites listed in the table below indicate the sites of the final rounds of play.)
| CONFERENCE (BRACKET) | LOCATION | DATES |
|---|---|---|
| ACC | Cary, NC | Nov. 3-10 |
| America East | Highest seed in each round hosts | Nov. 3-10 |
| American Athletic | Memphis, TN | Nov. 3-10 |
| Atlantic 10 | St. Louis, MO | Nov. 3-10 |
| Atlantic Sun | Highest seed in each round hosts | Nov. 3-9 |
| Big 12 | Kansas City, MO | Nov. 3-10 |
| Big East | Omaha, NE | Nov. 3-10 |
| Big Sky | Greeley, CO | Nov. 6-10 |
| Big South | Matthews, NC | Nov. 1-10 |
| Big Ten | Piscataway, NJ | Nov. 3-10 |
| Big West | Fullerton, CA | Nov. 7-10 |
| Colonial | Highest seed in each round hosts | Nov. 1-9 |
| Conference USA | Denton, TX | Nov. 6-10 |
| Horizon | Milwaukee, WI | Nov. 4-9 |
| Ivy | No Tournament | N/A |
| Metro Atlantic | Highest seed in each round hosts | Nov. 3-10 |
| Mid-American | Highest seed in each round hosts | Nov. 3-10 |
| Missouri Valley | Springfield, MO | Nov. 3-10 |
| Mountain West | Boise, ID | Nov. 5-9 |
| Northeast | Highest seed in each round hosts | Nov. 8-10 |
| Ohio Valley | Cape Girardeau, MO | Nov. 1-10 |
| Pac-12 | No Tournament | N/A |
| Patriot | Annapolis, MD | Nov. 5-10 |
| SEC | Orange Beach, AL | Nov. 3-10 |
| Southern | Greensboro, NC | Oct. 30-Nov. 10 |
| Southland | Conway, AR | Nov. 6-10 |
| SWAC | Praire View, TX | Nov. 7-10 |
| Summit | Brookings, SD | Nov. 7-9 |
| Sun Belt | Foley, AL | Nov. 6-10 |
| WAC | Seattle, WA | Nov. 6-10 |
| West Coast | No Tournament | N/A |
The 2019 DI women's soccer tournament kicks-off with its first round of play on Friday, Nov. 15, as 32 two-team matches will be played between the 15th and the 17th. The matches will be held at campus sites that aren't predetermined. Winners will advance to the second round.
Second and third-round action takes place on Friday, Nov. 22, through Sunday, Nov. 24 and is located at eight non-predetermined campus locations. At each site, four teams will compete in a single-elimination second round. Each winning team will advance to the third round, where they will again play a single-elimination match. Winners of third-round games will advance to the national quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals will begin Friday, Nov. 29 and run through the 30th. They will be held at four non-predetermined school sites and winners will advance to the 2019 Division I women's soccer College Cup.
The College Cup will be held at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California on Friday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Dec. 8. It will consist of the four quarterfinal winners.
Last year, Florida State took home the cup as they knocked off powerhouse North Carolina 1-0 in Cary, North Carolina. DI women's soccer has produced four different champions over the past four years as parity continues to be a theme of a sport that was so long dominated by the Tar Heels. Below is the complete Division I women's soccer championship history since 1982.
NCAA Women's Soccer: Champions, Women's College Cup winners
| YEAR | TEAM (RECORD) | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Stanford (24-1) | 0-0 (5-4 PKS) | North Carolina | San Jose, CA |
| 2018 | Florida State (20-4-3) | 1-0 | North Carolina | Cary, N.C. |
| 2017 | Stanford (23-1-0) | 3-2 | UCLA | Orlando, Fla. |
| 2016 | Southern California (19-4-2) | 3-1 | West Virginia | San Jose, Calif. |
| 2015 | Penn State (22-3-2) | 1-0 | Duke | Cary, N.C. |
| 2014 | Florida State (23-1-1) | 1-0 | Virginia | Boca Raton, Fla. |
| 2013 | UCLA (22-1-3) | 1-0 (OT) | Florida State | Cary, N.C. |
| 2012 | North Carolina (15-5-3) | 4-1 | Penn State | San Diego, Calif. |
| 2011 | Stanford (25-0-1) | 1-0 | Duke | Kennesaw, Ga. |
| 2010 | Notre Dame (21-2-2) | 1-0 | Stanford | Cary, N.C. |
| 2009 | North Carolina (23-3-1) | 1-0 | Stanford | Texas A&M |
| 2008 | North Carolina (25-1-2) | 2-1 | Notre Dame | Cary, N.C. |
| 2007 | Southern California (20-3-2) | 2-0 | Florida State | Texas A&M |
| 2006 | North Carolina (27-1) | 2-1 | Notre Dame | Cary, N.C. |
| 2005 | Portland (23-0-2) | 4-0 | UCLA | Texas A&M |
| 2004 | *Notre Dame (25-1-1) | 1-1 (2 ot, pk) | UCLA | Cary, N.C. |
| 2003 | North Carolina (27-0) | 6-0 | Connecticut | Cary, N.C. |
| 2002 | Portland (20-4-2) | 2-1 (2 ot) | Santa Clara | Austin, Texas |
| 2001 | Santa Clara (23-2) | 1-0 | North Carolina | SMU |
| 2000 | North Carolina (21-3) | 2-1 | UCLA | San Jose State |
| 1999 | North Carolina (24-2) | 2-0 | Notre Dame | San Jose State |
| 1998 | Florida (26-1) | 1-0 | North Carolina | UNC Greensboro |
| 1997 | North Carolina (27-0-1) | 2-0 | Connecticut | UNC Greensboro |
| 1996 | North Carolina (25-1) | 1-0 (2 ot) | Notre Dame | Santa Clara |
| 1995 | Notre Dame (21-2-2) | 1-0 (3 ot) | Portland | North Carolina |
| 1994 | North Carolina (25-1-1) | 5-0 | Notre Dame | Portland |
| 1993 | North Carolina (23-0) | 6-0 | George Mason | North Carolina |
| 1992 | North Carolina (25-0) | 9-1 | Duke | North Carolina |
| 1991 | North Carolina (25-0) | 3-1 | Wisconsin | North Carolina |
| 1990 | North Carolina (24-0) | 6-0 | Connecticut | North Carolina |
| 1989 | North Carolina (24-0-1) | 2-0 | Colorado College | North Carolina State |
| 1988 | North Carolina (18-0-3) | 4-1 | North Carolina State | North Carolina |
| 1987 | North Carolina (23-0-1) | 1-0 | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| 1986 | North Carolina (24-0-1) | 2-0 | Colorado College | George Mason |
| 1985 | George Mason (18-2-1) | 2-0 | North Carolina | George Mason |
| 1984 | North Carolina (24-0-1) | 2-0 | Connecticut | North Carolina |
| 1983 | North Carolina (19-1) | 4-0 | George Mason | UCF |
| 1982 | North Carolina (19-2) | 2-0 | UCF | UCF |
