NCAC WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYOFF CENTRAL

MEADVILLE, Pa. ­ - The Allegheny College women's soccer team has earned the top seed in the upcoming North Coast Athletic Conference championship playoffs.

Allegheny (9-5-4, 5-1-2 NCAC) will open the playoffs this Wednesday, hosting fourth-seeded DePauw University at 2 p.m. at the Robertson Athletic Complex.   The winner moves on to play in Saturday's conference championship match at the highest remaining seed, with its victor granted the NCAC's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III national playoffs. 

Under ninth-year head coach Mike Webber, the Gators finished the regular season in a three-way tie for the top spot in the NCAC with Wittenberg and Denison, but earned the number-one seed by virtue of their 1-0 victory over Denison on Sept. 28.  Wittenberg is seeded second in the conference tourney, and Denison third.  The Gators are making their fourth NCAC playoff appearance in the last five years, while this is the first time in that span in which Allegheny has received the top seed. 

Perennially one of the top defensive squads in the NCAC, this season has been no different for the Gators, as they have allowed just five goals in eight conference games, highlighted by a six-game shutout streak between Sept. 28 and Oct. 26.  Including non-conference games, the Gators have allowed one or fewer goals in 14 of 18 contests, with eight shutouts.  Allegheny junior goalie Gabby Curtis has started 17 matches, with a goals-against average of 0.96, while the Gator defense has surrendered an average of just 8.6 shots per game.

The Gator offense has been just as impressive, out-scoring opponents a combined 32-16 on the season, including a 20-5 margin in conference play, and out-shooting their conference foes by an average of 23-7. 

The Allegheny offensive attack has been well-balanced throughout the season, with four players boasting at least four goals, and eight players scoring two or more.  Leading the way has been dynamic freshman forward Jessie Thiessen, who tops the Gators and ranks among the top three in the NCAC in every offensive category including goals (7), assists (6), and points (20). 

Versatile senior Alison Buzzard, who has seen extensive time at forward, midfield, and defense, is second on the squad with six goals and 13 points, with five of her goals coming against NCAC foes.  Sophomore midfielder Hannah Zangara has 12 points, on five goals and two assists, with three game-winning goals, while senior forward Emily Byers has four goals on the year.

The Gators will be looking for revenge in their opening round playoff matchup, as DePauw (10-8, 5-3 NCAC) handed Allegheny its lone conference loss of the year, a 2-1 decision on Oct. 26 in which the Tigers scored the game-winner in the 89th minute.  The Gators owned an 18-7 advantage in shots, controlling possession for the duration of the contest, before DePauw scored the game-winner on a breakaway with 1:07 remaining.

Facing the four NCAC playoffs teams consecutively to end the regular season, the Tigers enter the playoffs looking to rebound from a two-game losing skid, as they fell 2-1 to Wittenberg on Oct. 29 before closing out the regular season with a 2-0 loss to Denison on a pair of own-goals on Saturday.

Like the Gators, DePauw has boasted a balanced offense throughout the season, as six players have scored three or more goals.  Elizabeth Seewer, who scored the game-winner in the Allegheny contest, leads the way with 15 points, on six goals and three assists, while Megann Lear has 14 points, on three goals and an NCAC-leading eight helpers.  Stephanie Martin and Emma Ueland each have four goals, while Chloe Jacob has three goals and five assists.
Defensively, Emma Cooper has started 17 games in goal, collecting four shutouts with 88 saves and a 1.79 goals against average.  In their eight conference matches, the Tigers have been out-shot an average of 13-8, but have out-scored their NCAC foes a combined 13-9. 

With the top seed in the playoffs, the Gators will be looking to take advantage of a distinct home field advantage.  This season, Allegheny is 6-1-0 at home, including 6-0 on its grass field at the Robertson Athletic Complex, outscoring visitors a combined 13-3.  Dating back to the 2009 campaign, Allegheny boasts a 25-6-5 home record.

Admission for Wednesday's contest at the Robertson Athletic Complex is $7 for adults and $3 for children 18-under. Allegheny students will be admitted free of charge upon showing their valid school ID.  No Allegheny Golden Gator All-Sports passes will be valid. 

The playoff match will be streamed live online at http://gatorstv.com, while live statistics will be available at http://sidearmstats.com/allegheny/wsoc/ .


NOTES: Allegheny is 1-3 all-time vs. DePauw, with the Gators' lone victory a 1-0 decision in 2011… Under head coach Mike Weber, the Gators are 2-3-2 in the NCAC playoffs, advancing in penalty kicks after tying Wooster in 2010 while falling in PK's after a 0-0 tie at Wittenberg in 2008… In each of their past two playoff appearances, the Gators have won their opener, with a 3-0 win over Wooster in 2011 and the aforementioned 2010 penalty kick win against the Fighting Scots… The 2011 victory over Wooster was the lone home playoff appearance for the Gators under Webber… This marks the second time in three seasons in which the Gators finished tied atop the NCAC standings, doing so in 2011 when they were granted the #2 playoff seed due to tiebreaker... Looking at the other NCAC playoff qualifiers, the Gators posted a 1-0 win over Denison on Sept. 26 and a 1-1 tie with Wittenberg this past Saturday… Denison and Wittenberg tied 1-1 in their regular season meeting on Oct. 12.