Gophers Take on Creighton in First Round of NCAA Playoffs Friday Evening

Ninth-ranked Texas A&M (15-4-2) play North Dakota State ( 12-5-5) at 3 p.m. and the University of Minnesota (12-5-3) take on Creighton (15-3-2) at 6:00 p.m. in first round action of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Tournament.

U of M Head Coach Mikki Denney Wright

You could call it a Minnesota women’s soccer get-together this weekend at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium on the St. Paul campus of the U of M. The Gophers will host first round action in the prestigious NCAA Division I tournament. Thirty-four players who come from Minnesota will be representing three of the four soccer teams that will play their first round games on Friday. Minnesota has 17 players, North Dakota State 14 and 3 come from Creighton. Texas A&M is the only team without a Minnesota player.

“It’s a great Minnesota homecoming,” said University of Minnesota head coach Mikki Denney Wright. “It shows the quality of players coming from Minnesota and they’ve all made it to the NCAA playoffs.”

Wright said it’s been business as usual this week in preparation for Friday’s first round game.

“We’re a team that likes consistency and routine,” said Wright. “I think that’s when the players feel the most comfortable. It also helps that we’re at home. Sleeping in your own bed makes a difference. We try to keep everything the same and I think that helps the players stay the most cool, calm and confident.”

Wright explained that the NCAA women’s soccer tournament does not host by seeding but tries to reduce travel costs. Because of that and the fact that the Gophers have such a great soccer facility in Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium, it helps them to host first round games.

Senior Angie Olson will try to add to her career goal total in Friday nights 1st round NCAA tourney game against Creighton.

“I’ve told the coaches at North Dakota State and South Dakota State, that when they win it helps us as well because they don’t want to fly two schools out. So it really helps us all. I’ve called them up before and told them they have to win,” laughed the Gophers head coach. “Because those teams did well and are in drivable distance and because we are sort of here on an island in terms of division I soccer programs that are in close proximity and that made it to the tournament, we had a seed flown in (Texas A&M). That’s what also happened to us in 2008.”

Wright says that Creighton is a team that is used to winning. They have had their best record in school history this season. Wright also says that the Bluejays have a number of good attackers and come at you with numbers with a 4-3-3 system.

The Gophers have not played Creighton since the round of 16 in 2008 where the U of M shutout the Bluejays 3-0. But Creighton holds a 2-1-1 overall advantage on the Gophers.

The winner of Friday’s game will move on to the second round on Sunday at 1 p.m.

For more information on tickets, schedules, parking and free shuttles please see Gophersports.com.