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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

sports women's soccer

Women's soccer team to play in NCAA tournament

The IU women’s soccer team packed into the I-Lounge inside Assembly Hall to watch the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, waiting to hear if its name would be called.

The Hoosiers failed to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament after losing to Nebraska 3-1 in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on Friday. The Hoosiers were relying on an at-large invitation to keep their season alive.

“I think everyone was pretty nervous,” senior forward Rebecca Candler said.

Before the selections began, players and coaches looked over numbers and rankings trying to predict who they might be playing.

“I need to stop,” assistant coach Benji Walton said, joking. “I’ve guessed, like, 30 different teams.”

Just past 4:30 p.m., the guessing ended.

IU appeared on the screen, and anything the announcer said after that went unheard. The room had already erupted with cheers.

The Hoosiers will play DePaul in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. It will be IU’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007.

“It is so exciting, especially for the seniors going three years previous never making it to the postseason,” Candler said. “It’s new. It’s exciting.”

IU is the higher seed, which means it will be the home team and play at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium at 7 p.m. Saturday.

“It’s amazing to be able to play in front of our old fans and our new fans,” IU Coach Amy Berbary said. “We’ve had tremendous supporters throughout this season and we really appreciate it.”

Berbary said now is the time for IU to attempt to make a run.

“Now it’s a new season,” she said. “It’s a one-game season and we’re ready to go.”

Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.

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