Clemson women’s soccer has secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament. This year marks the Tigers’ 10th consecutive and 24th overall appearance in the NCAA tournament. It is also Clemson’s highest seeding since 2000 when the team earned the No. 3 overall seed in a 48-team bracket. The tournament field now consists of 64 top-tier Division I soccer programs from coast to coast, all vying for a coveted spot in the College Cup.
The Tigers (15-3-3) will host their first-round matchup against Radford at Historic Riggs Field at 7 p.m. on Friday. It is unknown whether or not Clemson will host any of the future tournament rounds as they are held at non-predetermined campus sites.
“This is always one of the most exciting days of the season when it is the selection show and you’re in the tournament and you find out who you are going to play,” head coach Eddie Radwanski said. “It was just a bonus today to be rewarded as the number one seed, and honestly credit to the girls and the team because they are the ones that earned it. They put in the consistent work and effort the entire season. We finished on a great note, it was a very exciting championship final that we participated in. Obviously people liked what they saw and felt that our resume was warranted enough to earn one of the top seeds.”
One team, with one dream and a first-ever number one seed. pic.twitter.com/KG63oUsxq0
— Clemson Women's Soccer (@clemsonwsoccer) November 7, 2023
In their quadrant of the tournament, the Tigers are set to face tough competition, boasting three additional top 25 teams, according to the United Soccer Coaches poll. These opponents include Penn State, Saint Louis, and Santa Clara. This section of the bracket also includes four other powerhouse teams just narrowly outside the top 25 rankings — Georgetown, Georgia, Arizona State, and Indiana. Florida State, which handed the Tigers two of their three losses this season, is also a No. 1 seed in the tournament.
“It feels great to be the one seed but I still think we need to go into the tournament with the mindset that we need to prove why we are there and I think that will give us a little bit of fire going into the tournament,” graduate midfielder Hal Hershfelt said.
