2004 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament

The 2004 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament (also known as the 2004 Women's College Cup) was the 23rd 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 3–5, 2004.

Notre Dame defeated UCLA in the final, 4–3 (in a penalty kick shootout), to win their second national title. The game previously ended 1–1 after regulation and two overtime periods.

This tournament was notable for being the first in which North Carolina failed to qualify for the College Cup semifinals. The top-seeded Tar Heels lost in the Third Round to semifinalist Santa Clara.

The most outstanding offensive player was Katie Thorlakson from Notre Dame, and the most outstanding defensive player was Erika Bohn, also from Notre Dame. Thorlakson and Bohn, alongside nine other players, were named to the All-Tournament team. This was also the first All-Tournament team without a single player from North Carolina.

Thorlakson was also the tournament's leading scorer, with 4 goals and 6 assists.

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 TypeRecordCal PolyBig WestAutomatic11–2–6CaliforniaPac-10At-large11–5–3CampbellAtlantic SunAutomatic11–1–7CreightonMissouri ValleyAutomatic08–7–4IllinoisBig TenAt-large13–5–28KansasBig 12At-large17–4NebraskaBig 12At-large12–81North CarolinaACCAt-large18–0–2Oral RobertsMid-ContinentAutomatic13–5–1RiceWACAt-large14–4–316Santa ClaraWest CoastAuto (shared)14–4–2StanfordPac-10At-large12–5–39Texas A&MBig 12Automatic17–5Texas StateSouthlandAutomatic13–9Virginia TechACCAt-large11–8William & MaryCAAAt-large11–6–4 Notre Dame RegionalSeedSchoolConference Berth TypeRecord13ArizonaPac-10Auto (shared)15–5ColgatePatriotAutomatic12–6–2ColoradoBig 12At-large14–5–2ConnecticutBig EastAutomatic16–6–1DaytonAtlantic 10Automatic20–1Eastern IllinoisOhio ValleyAutomatic13–5–2HarvardIvy LeagueAt-large08–6–2North TexasSun BeltAutomatic15–5–14Notre DameBig EastAt-large19–1–15PortlandWest CoastAuto (shared)17–3SMUWACAutomatic15–3–312TexasBig 12At-large13–6–2UtahMountain WestAutomatic13–5–3Weber StateBig SkyAutomatic08–9–2West VirginiaBig EastAt-large14–5WisconsinBig TenAt-large15–5–1 Virginia RegionalSeedSchoolConference Berth TypeRecordBowling GreenMACAutomatic10–11–2DetroitHorizonAutomatic13–7–1DukeACCAt-large13–7FurmanSouthernAutomatic13–8James MadisonCAAAt-large11–7–3MichiganBig TenAt-large11–8–26Ohio StateBig TenAutomatic16–3–3PepperdineWest CoastAt-large09–6–3San DiegoWest CoastAt-large11–7–211TennesseeSECAt-large15–4–2UABConference USAAutomatic15–5–114UCLAPac-10Auto (shared)13–6UNLVMountain WestAt-large12–4–2VCUCAAAutomatic15–63VirginiaACCAutomatic16–2–2Wake ForestACCAt-large10–6–2 Penn State RegionalSeedSchoolConference Berth TypeRecordAuburnSECAt-large14–3–2BinghamtonAmerica EastAutomatic14–5–1Birmingham-SouthernBig SouthAutomatic12–6–3Boston CollegeBig EastAt-large14–6Central Conn. StateNortheastAutomatic11–9–1ClemsonACCAt-large10–7–210FloridaSECAutomatic16–3–3Florida StateACCAt-large12–5–2Loyola (MD)MAACAutomatic16–3MarylandACCAt-large07–6–42Penn StateBig TenAt-large18–2–17PrincetonIvy LeagueAutomatic15–2UCFAtlantic SunAt-large16–3–2VillanovaBig EastAt-large13–5–215WashingtonPac-10At-large14–4–1YaleIvy LeagueAt-large13–4

Bracket

Bracket No. 1

Bracket No. 2

Bracket No. 3

Bracket No. 4

College Cup

All-tournament team Danesha Adams, UCLA Kendal Billingsley, UCLA Erika Bohn, Notre Dame (most outstanding defensive player) Candace Chapman, Notre Dame Bristyn Davis, UCLA Valerie Henderson, UCLA Iris Mora, UCLA Leslie Osborne, Santa Clara Melissa Tancredi, Notre Dame Katie Thorlakson, Notre Dame (most outstanding offensive player) Romy Trigg Smith, Princeton

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

References