LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 16 Nova Southeastern University women's soccer team will be making their first postseason appearance in three years, having earned a bye all the way to the Sunshine State Conference semifinals in Miami Shores, where they will take on Tampa on Friday evening at 4:30.
The Sharks (12-3-1, 5-2-1 SSC) last qualified for the SSC Championship in 2012, and are looking for their first win in the conference tournament since Oct. 30, 2007, 1-0 over Lynn in the quarterfinals. They have made it to three semifinal matchups in the 12 years that they have been a member of the SSC (in their first year eligible in 2004, and also in 2006 and 2007). A win on Friday would mark their first ever in the SSC final four, while sending them to their first conference title match in program history.
But first, the No. 2-seeded Sharks will have to overcome a Tampa (11-3-4, 5-2-1 SSC) team that they have gone 3-15-2 against all-time, though one of those three victories came earlier this season. NSU defeated the then-No. 20 Spartans 1-0 in Fort Lauderdale on Sept. 19 behind a goal from SSC Player of the Year
Sierra Lelii (R-Sr., Seminole, Fla.) in the 34th minute. The Shark backline, led by SSC Defensive Player of the Year
Cydney Niedermeyer (Jr., Fort Myers, Fla.) and goalkeeper and Second Team All-SSC selection
Amanda Kopale (R-Jr., Cape Coral, Fla.) turned away 18 Tampa shots to keep the margin.
Tampa, as the No. 3 seed, advanced to the semifinals by surviving sixth seed Saint Leo in penalty kicks, 5-4, after a 1-1 tie through regulation and two overtime periods. The Spartans were 5-1-2 in their final eight regular season matchups and had the same conference mark as the Sharks, who took the second seed based on the tiebreaker of the 1-0 head-to-head win in September.
Game time is 4:30 p.m. at Buccaneer Field prior to the second semifinal matchup, between host and top seed Barry and Florida Tech, scheduled for a 7 p.m. start. The two teams advancing will pit against one another in the SSC final match, Sunday at 1 p.m. also in Miami Shores. Links for Friday night are available at the top of this page.
