1988 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament

The 1988 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament was the seventh annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA Division I women's collegiate soccer. This was the first championship for just Division I programs. The championship game was played again at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, North Carolina during December 1988.[1]

1988 NCAA women's soccer tournament
Women's College Cup (semifinals & final)
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
DatesNovember–December 1988
Teams12
Final positions
ChampionsNorth Carolina Tar Heels
(6th title, 7th College Cup)
Runner-upNC State Wolfpack
(1st title match, 1st College Cup)
Semifinalists
Tournament statistics
Matches played11
Goals scored25 (2.27 per match)
Attendance6,280 (571 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Shannon Higgins, UNC (4)
Best playerShannon Higgins, UNC (Offensive)
Carla Werden, UNC (Defensive)
← 1987
1989 →

All statistics correct as of 4/30/2015.

North Carolina defeated rival NC State in the final, 4–1, to win their sixth national title. Coached by Anson Dorrance, the Tar Heels finished the season 18–0–3. This would go on to become the third of North Carolina's record nine consecutive national titles (1986–1994). It was also part of the Tar Heels' ten-year unbeaten streak that ran from the 1984 championship game all the way until the 1994 season.

The most outstanding offensive player was Shannon Higgins from North Carolina, and the most outstanding defensive player was Carla Werden, also from North Carolina. Higgins was also the tournament's leading scorer (4 goals, 1 assist).

Qualification

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After the establishment of the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship in 1988, only Division I women's soccer programs were eligible to qualify for the tournament. Nonetheless, the tournament field remained fixed at 12 teams.

Team Appearance Previous Record
California 5th 1987 14-4-2
Central Florida 4th 1987 09-2-2
Colorado College 5th 1987 14-2-1
Connecticut 7th 1987 15-4-2
George Mason 6th 1986 11-6-5
Massachusetts 7th 1987 14-2-1
North Carolina 7th 1987 15-0-3
NC State 4th 1987 17-1-3
St. Mary's (CA) 1st None 12-7-2
Virginia 2nd 1987 12-5-3
William & Mary 5th 1987 15-3-2
Wisconsin 2nd 1985 13-2-2

Bracket

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First round Second round Semifinals Championship
(Women's College Cup)
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
            
North Carolina 2
Central Florida 0
Central Florida 2
Virginia 1
North Carolina 3
Wisconsin 0
Massachusetts 1
Wisconsin 2
Wisconsin (2OT, PK) 1
Connecticut 0
North Carolina 4
NC State 1
Colorado College 1
California (2OT) 2
California 2
St. Mary's (CA) 0
California 0
NC State 1
NC State (2OT) 1
George Mason 0
George Mason 1
William & Mary 0

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Division I Women's Soccer Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved April 30, 2015.