2003 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament

The 2003 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament (also known as the 2003 Women's College Cup) was the 22nd annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA Division I women's collegiate soccer. The semifinals and championship game were played at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina from December 5–7, 2003.

Top seeded North Carolina defeated unranked Connecticut in the final, 6–0, to win their seventeenth national title. The undefeated Tar Heels (27–0) were coached by Anson Dorrance. The Tar Heels dominated their competition on their way to the championship, winning all six of their games by a combined score of 32–0.

The most outstanding offensive player was Heather O'Reilly from North Carolina, and the most outstanding defensive player was Catherine Reddick, also from North Carolina. O'Reilly and Reddick, along with nine other players, were named to the All-Tournament team. O'Reilly was also the tournament's leading scorer, with 8 goals. The championship referee was Brian Kirkley from Atlanta, GA.

Qualification

All Division I women's soccer programs were eligible to qualify for the tournament. The tournament field remained fixed at 64 teams.

Format Just as before, the final two rounds, deemed the Women's College Cup, were played at a pre-determined neutral site. All other rounds were played on campus sites at the home field of the higher-seeded team. The only exceptions were the first two rounds, which were played at regional campus sites. The top sixteen teams, all of which were seeded for the first time ever, hosted four team-regionals on their home fields during the tournament's first weekend.

Records North Carolina RegionalSeedSchoolConference Berth TypeRecordArizona StatePac-10At-large12–4–3Cal PolyBig WestAutomatic18–1–2DenverSun BeltAutomatic18–3DePaulConference USAAutomatic14–6–2High PointBig SouthAutomatic10–9–116IllinoisBig TenAutomatic16–3–2NebraskaBig 12At-large12–7–11North CarolinaACCAutomatic21–08PortlandWest CoastAt-large16–3–1PurdueBig TenAt-large12–5–39Santa ClaraWest CoastAutomatic12–3–5StanfordPac-10At-large10–8–2UNC-GreensboroSouthernAutomatic14–6–2Wake ForestACCAt-large10–6–3WashingtonPac-10At-large11–6–3Western MichiganMACAutomatic13–7–1 UCLA RegionalSeedSchoolConference Berth TypeRecord12DukeACCAt-large13–6–1Eastern IllinoisOhio ValleyAutomatic11–5–5Illinois StateMissouri ValleyAutomatic11–5–313KansasBig 12At-large16–5–1MarylandACCAt-large11–8–1MissouriBig 12At-large11–10–1NavyPatriotAutomatic17–4–15Penn StateBig TenAt-large16–3–2PepperdineWest CoastAt-large13–5–1RutgersBig EastAt-large10–6–4San DiegoWest CoastAt-large09–7–4SMUWACAutomatic17–3–1Stephen F. AustinSouthlandAutomatic15–4–2Texas A&MBig 12At-large12–5–24UCLAPac-10Automatic16–1–3USCPac-10At-large09–7–4 Florida RegionalSeedSchoolConference Berth TypeRecordAuburnSECAt-large13–3–3ClemsonACCAt-large11–6–2DartmouthIvy LeagueAutomatic09–5–2DaytonAtlantic 10Automatic14–5–23FloridaSECAt-large16–3–211Florida StateACCAt-large13–7–1GeorgiaSECAt-large12–9Loyola (MD)MAACAutomatic12–8–1MississippiSECAt-large14–5–2Ohio StateBig TenAt-large12–4–3OklahomaBig 12At-large08–6–5Oklahoma StateBig 12Automatic15–4–314TennesseeSECAutomatic15–4–2TexasBig 12At-large12–8UCFAtlantic SunAutomatic16–4–16West VirginiaBig EastAt-large15–3–2 Notre Dame RegionalSeedSchoolConference Berth TypeRecord15Boston CollegeBig EastAt-large15–2–3Boston U.America EastAutomatic12–5–5BYUMountain WestAt-large14–6–2Central Conn. StateNortheastAutomatic15–2–310ColoradoBig 12At-large15–3–1ConnecticutBig EastAt-large10–5–3Idaho StateBig SkyAutomatic10–8–1Loyola (IL)HorizonAutomatic10–10MichiganBig TenAt-large09–7–62Notre DameBig EastAt-large19–2–1OaklandMid-ContinentAutomatic15–4–1PrincetonIvy LeagueAt-large11–2–3UtahMountain WestAutomatic16–2–1VillanovaBig EastAutomatic14–5–37VirginiaACCAt-large12–5–2William & MaryCAAAutomatic14–6–2

Bracket

North Carolina Bracket

UCLA Bracket

Florida Bracket

Notre Dame Bracket

College Cup

All-tournament team Lori Chalupny, North Carolina Jessica Giertsen, Connecticut Kristen Graczyk, Connecticut Heather O'Reilly, North Carolina (most outstanding offensive player) Nandi Price, UCLA Alyssa Ramsey, North Carolina Catherine Reddick, Portland (most outstanding defensive player) Lindsay Tarpley, North Carolina Maggie Tomecka, North Carolina India Trotter, Florida State Carmen Watley, North Carolina

See also NCAA Women's Soccer Championships (Division II, Division III) NCAA Men's Soccer Championships (Division I, Division II, Division III)

References