WVU Soccer Surprisingly Unseeded in NCAA Tournament

WVU soccer was delivered a shock during the NCAA Tournament selection show on Monday as the Mountaineers, the Sun Belt regular season and tournament champions, were not given a top-16 seed by the selection committee.

Surprisingly, the team WVU topped for both the Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament titles, Marshall, did receive a national seed at No. 13. WVU tied Marshall 0-0 in the regular-season finale to claim the SBC’s top seed and then defeated the Thundering Herd in penalty kicks to win the tournament championship on Sunday.

WVU has lost just once this season, 5-1 to Dayton last month, and is 12-1-7. Marshall is 11-1-7. Rival Pitt (12-5) received the No. 2 overall seed despite losing in the first round of the ACC Tournament.

The 16 seeded teams in the 48-team field all receive a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the bracket.

WVU still gets a home game in the first round and will host North Florida on Thursday, Nov. 21 at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m. A win will send the Mountaineers to Charlottesville to take on No. 11-seeded Virginia on Sunday.

West Virginia and Marshall are on opposite sides of the bracket and a third round of the Mountain State Derby could only take place if both were to advance to the College Cup in Cary, NC.