Nov. 1, 2012

LEXINGTON, Ky. – After falling in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Southeastern Conference Tournament, the University of Kentucky women’s soccer team will now set its sights on the 2012 NCAA Tournament, beginning with the selection show Monday afternoon.

The field of 64 will be announced in a live selection show to be streamed on NCAASports.com beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

There will be 32 first-round host sites in the tournament, with the higher seed earning the right to host the first-round game. From then, teams are sent to one of 16 nationally-seeded sites, where they will play for a spot in the 2012 NCAA Women’s College Cup.

The link to the show can be found here: http://www.ncaa.com/live/player?vid=2012/564&date=2012/11/05

The NCAA’s main criteria include the team’s RPI, results versus common opponents and head-to-head competition.

The Wildcats have an impressive resume to show to the committee, registering wins over No. 9 Florida and No. 39 Louisville as well as a draw with No. 14 Texas A&M. UK entered the night ranked 26th in the NCAA RPI, putting them in position to host a first-round game for the second-straight year. 

In 2011, UK earned an at-large bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, marking UK’s return to the big dance for the first time since 2006. The Wildcats hosted one of the most evenly-matched games in the tournament, as Washington State advanced in penalties after the two played to a draw after 110 minutes.

Kentucky finished the home portion of the season with a 9-1-1 record, one of only two teams in the Southeastern Conference to have one or fewer home defeats. The Wildcats averaged over 800 fans per game this season, ranking among the best in the nation.

For continuing coverage of UK women’s soccer, log on to UKathletics.com.