Field Hockey NCAA Tournament Selection
11/6/2017 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
NCAA Release | NCAA Tournament Bracket
OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami University field hockey team will play Stanford in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will take place at Stanford on Wednesday, November 8 at 5 p.m. EST.
This is Miami's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013, fourth overall (1980, 2012, 2013, 2017). The RedHawks are 1-4 in NCAA Tournament games.
"They did a lot of work and a lot of discipline and a lot of commitment - that's what we did", said head coach Inako Puzo. "Not just this year. I think this program keeps growing year by year. We're helping to build a tradition. We deserve to be here and have the opportunity to go for the national title."
Eighteen teams were selected for the tournament. Ten of these teams automatically qualified for the tournament because they won their conference. The remaining eight teams were selected at large.
The teams that automatically qualified by winning their conference:
America East Conference Stanford University
Atlantic Coast Conference University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Atlantic 10 Conference Saint Joseph's University
Big East Conference University of Connecticut
Big Ten Conference University of Michigan
Colonial Athletic Association University of Delaware
The Ivy League Princeton University
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Fairfield University
Mid-American Conference Miami University (Ohio)
Patriot League Boston University
The teams selected at large:
Duke University, University of Louisville, Northwestern University, University of Maryland, College Park, Pennsylvania State University, Syracuse University, University of Virginia and Wake Forest University
"We're really excited to be able to go to Stanford," said junior midfielder/back Avery Sturm. "They are a really great team and I think we're just really excited to be able to represent Miami in a positive way and we're really thankful for everything that the university has given us to be able to get this opportunity."
"We played [Stanford] once our freshman year [2015]," said junior back Kendall Hunker. "They have a lot of speed, a lot of skill, a lot of talent, but so do we and I think we're ready to compete and play and represent Miami."
OPPONENT PREVIEW
ABOUT STANFORD: The Cardinals finished the season with a 13-7 overall record and a 4-2 record in the America East Conference. In the America East Tournament, Stanford beat UMass-Lowell 5-1, No. 24 Pacific 3-2 in overtime and the University of New Hampshire 4-1 to capture the championship. The Cardinals' scoring efforts are led by freshman forward Corinne Zanolli with 14 goals and 39 total points.
SERIES WITH STANFORD: Stanford leads the all-time series with Miami 6-1. In 2015, the sixth-ranked Cardinals beat the RedHawks 1-0 in overtime.
UP AHEAD: The winner of the Miami and Stanford game will play at Duke on November 11.
