Live Stats
WEST CHESTER, Pa. - West Chester University's women's soccer team opens the postseason with a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Quarterfinal Round game against Slippery Rock on South Campus at 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
West Chester (13-3-1) stumbles into the playoffs winners in just three of its last seven contests, including a 1-0 setback at Millersville in the regular-season finale last Saturday. The Golden Rams went 3-3-1 down the stretch and fell out of the national polls, after climbing all the way to No. 2 at one point in the season. West Chester finished in second place in the PSAC standings and hosts seventh-seeded Slippery Rock (10-5-1) in the first round.
The winner of today's quarterfinal round match advances to the conference semifinals on the weekend. California (Pa.), the regular-season champion, would host the semifinals and finals if the Vulcans win their quarterfinal round game against Indiana (Pa.) Thursday afternoon. A win by West Chester, coupled with a loss by Cal, would give the Golden Rams home field advantage in the semifinals and finals this weekend.
The Golden Rams were knocked out of the PSAC Tournament by The Rock a year ago in the quarterfinals. That contest was out in Western Pa. West Chester did win the PSAC Championship in both 2009 and 2010. The Rams' senior class begins their quest for a third conference crown this afternoon.
West Chester's four conference titles are the most by any school in the PSAC, and the Golden Rams show an overall tournament record of 10-7-2. All four of the Rams' titles have come in the last six years. West Chester is 1-1-1 all-time against Slippery Rock in the PSAC Tournament. The Golden Rams topped The Rock for the 2007 championship, played to a tie in 2010 semifinals (eventually advancing to the championship game on penalty kicks) and dropped last year's quarterfinal round decision.
