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Staten Island, NY -- The 2025 NEC women's soccer champion Wagner Seahawks will head down to Morgantown, WV to face No. 7 seed West Virginia in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
During Monday's NCAA Division I women's soccer championship selection show, Wagner heard its name called for the first time ever during the annual event. The Seahawks will make their tournament debut on Friday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m.
The Seahawks will enter the matchup on a run of 10 games without defeat and have won five contests in a row. Wagner has generated momentum over the last month with both offensive firepower and defensive prowess. During that 10-game stretch, the Seahawks have scored 31 goals and conceded just eight. During conference play, Wagner was the most potent offense in the NEC, scoring 33 goals in the 11-match conference campaign. Wagner also has proven it can win in several different ways. During its unbeaten run, the Green & White posted four wins by three or more goals, while also recording five wins by just one goal. The Seahawks enter their first round matchup against West Virginia with a sense of belief, having rallied from behind in both their NEC semifinal win over Howard and their win over Central Connecticut in the final.
West Virginia bowed out in the Big 12 quarterfinals, but still present a massive challenge for the Green and White. The Mountaineers enter the tournament at 13-3-3 on the year, having gone unbeaten in the Big 12 at 8-0-3. Their marquee win of the season came on September 24, claiming a 3-2 road victory over BYU, the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Taylor White led the way offensively for West Virginia this season. The senior forward tallied 28 points from 10 goals and eight assists, finishing fourth in the Big 12 in points. The Mountaineers also have a reliable presence between the woodwork in Bailey Hurfurth. The redshirt junior maintains a 0.84 goals against average and has kept nine clean sheets. The latter mark is tied for the best in the Big 12. Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium has become a fortress for West Virginia, as they have lost at home just once all season.
For Wagner, Izzy Gomez has been its best player offensively. The senior midfielder/forward has scored eight goals and assisted on two for 18 points. Abigail Marcello has been steady in goal for the Seahawks as well, maintaining a 0.90 goals against average in 12 appearances and managing five shutouts. Those marks are good for first and a tie for second in the NEC, respectively. Gomez was named to an All-NEC Second Team selection this season, while Marcello was named to the NEC's All-Rookie Team. Teammates Hailey Knapp and Riley Frederick were tabbed to the All-NEC First Team and All-Rookie Team, respectively, as well.
The winner of Friday night's game will meet the winner of the match between No. 2 seed Georgetown and Sacred Heart on Thursday, November 20.