Women's DI Tournament First Round Review

by Victor Olorunfemi

November 13, 2023

And just like that, the opening round of the women’s tournament is behind us, and only 32 teams are remaining with a chance at glory. From the shocking upset heard around the country to a few timely comebacks, here is a review of the first round of the women’s NCAA tournament.

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Major Déjà vu for UC Irvine

You will have seen by now that with an 87th-minute Alyssa Moore header, UC Irvine became the second 16-seed to upset a one-seed in the NCAA tournament. What makes it even more intriguing are the similarities between this upset and the ones of the past. For one, the Anteaters upset UCLA in the 2021 first round, then as a 14 seed, and it was Moore again scoring that goal. It helps that nine UC Irvine players who received minutes on that night in 2021 did so again in the 2023 win. And the only other time a 16 seed defeated a No. 1 seed was 2006 when Amy Rodriguez of USC scored a, yup, you guessed it, 87th-minute game-winner to take down Santa Clara. But beyond that, UC Irvine head coach Scott Juniper deserves special mention for his outstanding tactical acumen in pulling off multiple upsets.

14 seeded UC Irvine upset 3-seed UCLA in 2021
13 seeded UC Irvine upset 4-seed USC in 2022, eventually reaching the round of 16
16 seeded UC Irvine upset 1-seed UCLA in 2023
Won the 2022 Big West tournament as the sixth seed, which is lowest after needing a win in the regular-season finale to get in
Won the 2023 Big West tournament as a five seed

Dale-Missimo Golden Boot Race

In many other seasons, either Eleanor Dale of Nebraska and her 26 goals or Lexi Missimo of Texas and her 25 would have run away with the Golden Boot. But they have each other, and with both teams still in the NCAA tournament, there is no telling who will end the season as the 2023 goal-scoring Queen.

Stunner for Tennessee

The only other first-round upset was 13-seeded Tennessee taking down 4-seeded Xavier in a stunning effort. Despite Xavier holding a 41-11 shooting advantage, the Volunteers pulled off a 1-0 win in double overtime thanks to an astonishing 15 saves by sophomore keeper Ally Zazzara. Not that the game plan is to allow your shot-stopper to face that kind of action, but with the Georgia native in this form, Tennessee will feel confident in a second straight upset.

Pittsburgh is Coming

Pittsburgh sent a clear message to the field in a 6-0 demolition of Ohio State. More impressive than the total number was that the goals came from six players, highlighting a team with formidable firepower. Led by the trio of Samiah Phiri, Amanda West, and Sarah Schupansky, all with double-digit goals, this team has the attacking talents needed to make a run.

Bethune Back

After missing the first eight games of the season due to recovery from an ACL injury, preseason TDS No. 1 ranked player Croix Bethune has gradually returned to form. And in watching Georgia’s 2-1 victory over Liberty, it was clear why Bethune was a two-time PAC-12 Midfielder of the Year and All-American at USC. With effortless technique, an understanding of the game way beyond her peers, and a swagger to match it all, the Georgia native looked like a pro among amateurs. Regardless of how this NCAA run ends, expect Bethune to be one of the top picks in the NWSL draft unless she pursues other professional opportunities.

Comeback Season

A few teams needed to mount comebacks to avoid a first-round upset. Three-seeded North Carolina scored three unanswered after going down 1-0 to Towson, Nebraska went down 1-0, then 2-1 against South Dakota before knocking in four more, Columbia left it late with a 78th-minute equalizer and 89th-minute winner against Rutgers, and Georgetown needed overtime but eventually came back to defeat Old Dominion 2-1.

Ivy League Domination

For the first time since 2001, four Ivy League schools made it to the NCAA Tournament. That brought doubts about the merit of that accomplishment from some cynics who may have felt another program should have earned one of those spots. Those naysayers were put to bed as all four schools won their first-round games, with Columbia defeating Rutgers, Brown ending Quinnipiac’s season, Harvard dispatching Maine, and Princeton shutting out Michigan.