Eagles Enter as Top Seed for First Time in Program History
FOREST, Va. --- Women's soccer is certainly one of the most competitive sports in the ODAC, but the situation heading into Saturday's final games was exceedingly rare. Not a single seed in the nine-team postseason field was determined prior to the final seven league games. When all results went final, it was Bridgewater College that locked up the top seed in the upcoming ODAC Women's Soccer Tournament.
The Eagles enter the postseason as the #1 seed for the first time in program history. They were tied for the first three positions with Randolph-Macon College and the University of Lynchburg following Saturday's action. Head-to-head tiebreakers sifted thru the stalemate, leaving Bridgewater as the first seed, Randolph-Macon seeded second, and Lynchburg in third position.
RELATED: Interactive Bracket | Tournament Website
The next several tournament entries were determined from each squad's final position in the league table. Virginia Wesleyan University occupies the fourth slot and will welcome fifth-seeded Roanoke College to campus for quarterfinal play. Sixth-seeded Washington and Lee University will make the quick trip over the mountain to Lynchburg, while seventh-seeded Shenandoah University travels to Randolph-Macon. Ferrum College enters its first ODAC postseason as the eighth seed, but the Panthers' opponent in the first round was determined thru tiebreakers.
Eastern Mennonite University, Guilford College, and Randolph College each finished with 12 points in the standings. The three did not all play against each other in the regular season in the ODAC's unbalanced schedule, so head-to-head tiebreakers could not be used. In the conference's second step which involves assigning a point value for wins over each team in the standings, Randolph's mid-October victory over Bridgewater proved the difference. The WildCats earn the ninth seed and will play at Ferrum in the first round. The winner of that contest will head to Bridgewater in the quarterfinals.
Tournament play begins with the first round game on Monday, October 29, and continues with the quarterfinals on Wednesday, October 31. The highest seed remaining in the field after the quarterfinals will host the semifinals and championship on Saturday and Sunday, November 3-4. Game times are to be determined.
For more information on the 2018 ODAC Women’s Soccer Tournament, see the pairings below and visit the ODAC on the Internet at www.odaconline.com. Game times will be added to the ODAC Women’s Soccer Championship website and the interactive bracket.
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ODAC WOMEN’S SOCCER TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS
First Round | Monday, October 29
Game 1: #9 Randolph at #8 Ferrum | TBA
Quarterfinals | Wednesday, October 31
Game 2: Winner Game 1 at #1 Bridgewater | TBA
Game 3: #5 Roanoke at #4 Virginia Wesleyan | TBA
Game 4: #7 Shenandoah at #2 Randolph-Macon | TBA
Game 5: #6 Washington and Lee at #3 Lynchburg | TBA
Semifinals | Saturday, November 3 | at Highest Seed following Quarterfinals
Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3 | TBA
Game 7: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5 | TBA
Championship | Sunday, November 4 | at Semifinals Host
Game 8: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 7 | TBA