UNCW women’s soccer preparing for CAA tournament
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — For the first time in four years, Seahawk women’s soccer will have a postseason.
UNCW finished with the CAA regular season title and is now getting ready for the conference tournament.
The Seahawks did not lose a game in league play over a full season for the first time in 32 years.
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
Now they look to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015, which is what Head Coach Chris Neal has his sights set on.
“There’s 30 different leagues and only one team from each league gets an automatic qualifier,” Neal said. “If we’re lucky enough to get that, that would be tremendous. I think it would be a weight off the shoulders of this roster that has worked so hard to get there. Let’s make no mistake about it. This is going to be a dogfight of a semifinal, whoever we play and then obviously a final if we’re lucky enough to host that one as well.”
The program’s first winning season since 2021 allows them to control their own destiny, but they do not control who their next opponent will be.
Winning the CAA South division title earned them a first round bye and will play in the semifinals at home on Sunday.
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
Neal says they are preparing for all possible opponents, while the athletes are preparing all the same as they try to win the conference title for the first time since 2009.
“During practice, we like to cultivate an atmosphere that’s very high intensity, very competitive,” sophomore midfielder Abby Pierson said. “We’re either going to play William & Mary or Elon, it depends on who wins there. But practice is always intense, it’s very focused and high levels of communication always just to get us where we need to be.”
The CAA championship will be held November 8. UNCW has home field advantage throughout the tournament after finishing the regular season with a six point lead over the rest of the league.
