LOUDONVILLE, NY – Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Champion Siena will face Arizona State in the First Round of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship. The Saints are set to take on the Sun Devils on Wednesday, Apr. 28 at noon at Johnson Stadium on the campus of East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.

 

Siena (6-0-2) is set to make the program’s third NCAA Tournament appearance. The Saints fell 5-0 at 18^th ranked UConn in the First Round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, and dropped a 5-1 decision vs. Georgetown in the 2010 First Round at the University of Maryland.

 

Siena earned the MAAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after capturing the program’s third MAAC Tournament Championship (2010, 2015, 2020-21) by defeating Monmouth 4-2 in a penalty kick shootout following a scoreless tie last Friday at Hickey Field. Predicted to finish eighth out of 11 teams according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the Saints secured the program’s first-ever MAAC Regular Season Championship in their 29^th season of conference competition.

 

Arizona State (8-5-2, 4-4-2) received one of 19 at-large bids to this season’s 48-team field. The Sun Devils are making the program’s eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2014. Arizona State is 4-6-1 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. 

 

Picked to finish last according to the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the Sun Devils ended up sixth while earning key victories over then third-ranked UCLA on Mar. 26 and defending National Champion Stanford Apr. 4. Arizona State achieved a peak national ranking of 16^th in the Mar. 16 United Soccer Coaches Top-25 Poll, marking the program’s highest mark in 17 years. The Sun Devils, who lost three straight and four of five to close out their regular season, are amongst teams also receiving votes in the most recent United Soccer Coaches Poll released Apr. 13, with 11 votes which is tied for the 30^th highest total nationally.

 

The Siena-Arizona State winner will face No. 9 national seed Duke in the Second Round on Saturday, May 1 at noon at Johnson Stadium.