WSoc Remains Top 6 in ACC — TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Sit in Tie for Fourth

With one match remaining in the regular season, Louisville women’s soccer is not only in prime position to make the 64-team NCAA Tournament, but they also sit in a good position to make the six-team ACC Tournament. Despite the recent expansion to 17 teams, the ACC continues to opt for a six team lineup.

The ACC Tournament is arguably the tougher tournament to make due to the limited number of spots. In the women’s soccer world, the ACC continues to be the premiere conference. Last year, the entire Final Four was made up of ACC teams. Currently, seven teams are ranked in the Coaches Poll with the top three positions across the country going to Notre Dame, Stanford, and Virginia. The RPI puts nine ACC teams in the top 25.

Louisville is tied with Florida State and Virginia with 17 points. Notre Dame and Stanford are tied with 25 points and are a lock for the top two seeds. Duke sits in third with 18 points. Also in the running are Cal (16), Wake Forest (15), North Carolina (15), Clemson (14), and NC State (14). The last two should already be eliminated pending nothing crazy happening.

A win will guarantee Louisville a spot in the top six teams. A drew would give the Cards 18 points, which may be enough to still make it.

Here are some matches of note that can impact the final standings for Louisville:

Stanford (25 points) vs California (16 points)

Duke (18 points) vs Clemson (14 points)

Virginia (17 points) vs Boston College (5 points)

Florida State (17 points) vs Wake Forest (15 points)

North Carolina (15 points) vs NC State (14 points)

Again, if Louisville wins, then they are in. If they draw or lose, they will need to follow these five matches closely.

To make things simple on who to cheer for in the event of a Louisville loss or draw, the teams we want to win (or draw in most cases) are:

Stanford to win if Louisville loses, or Stanford to win/draw if Louisville draws

Boston College to win whether Louisville wins, draws, or loses

Clemson to win/draw if Louisville wins or draws, Duke to win if Louisville loses

Florida State to win or draw if Louisville loses, Wake Forest to win or draw if Louisville wins

North Carolina and NC State to draw would be best case scenario. If Louisville wins, then this outcome does not matter. If Louisville draws, then an NC State win or draw is best. If Louisville loses, then either team could possibly pass Louisville in points or tiebreaker

For now, we will look forward to Thursday and hope for a positive result and Lynn Stadium.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared