<p>The Midshipmen are making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four years.</p>
<p>Nov. 6, 2006</p>
<p>INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Making the program's second NCAA Tournament appearance, the nationally-ranked Navy women's soccer team (21-1) will face No. 14 William & Mary (16-1-3) in the opening round of the 2006 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament. The Mids and Tribe will face one another on Friday at 7:30 pm at North Carolina's Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Navy-William & Mary contest will follow top-seeded North Carolina's (21-1) match-up against UNC-Asheville (10-6-3), winner of the Big South, at 5:00 pm. The winners of each contest will square off in the second round on Sunday at 1:00 pm in Chapel Hill. </p>
<p>We're very excited to play in this year's NCAA Tournament," said Navy head coach Carin Gabarra, the 2006 Patriot League Coach of the Year. "We're peaking at the right time of the season, we have talent and we are healthy. All the tools are there, but we will have to play an entire 90-minute game to be successful against a quality team like William & Mary. They have had a fantastic season under a very experienced, established coach in John Daly." </p>
<p>Navy received its second NCAA Tournament berth in four years after defeating Lehigh in the Patriot League Tournament Semifinals, 2-0, and capping off the weekend with a 1-0 victory over fourth-seeded Colgate on Sunday to claim the program's second postseason league title. The Mids enter Friday's contests against the Tribe having won back-to-back games after their 19-game winning streak was snapped in their regular-season finale at home against Bucknell on Oct. 29. Prior to the loss, Navy was the only team in the country that had not lost or tied a game and owned the nation's longest winning streak. </p>
<p>The Midshipmen have enjoyed a record-setting season, producing multiple school records, including their 21 wins heading into the NCAA Tournament. Gabarra has fielded one of the deepest, most well-rounded teams in her 14 seasons at the Academy. The Midshipmen have been accurate on the offensive side of the field, averaging 3.18 goals per game as the nation's seventh-ranked scoring offense. On the other hand, Navy's defense has been stifling, giving up just five goals in 22 contests and it leads the country with its 0.227 goals-against average. The Mids' GAA is also the fourth-lowest in the NCAA record books. The Mids have shut out 18 of their 22 opponents this fall, turning in the fourth-best shutout percentage in NCAA history. Navy has outscored its opponents an amazing 70-5 this fall. </p>
<p>Senior Meggie Curran (Silver Spring, Md.), the 2006 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year leads Navy with 39 points on 12 goals and 15 assists. She is second on the Mids' all-time scoring list with 118 points, while her 42-career assists is a Navy record and tied as the second most by a Patriot League player. She is ranked third in the country in assists, averaging 0.68 per outing. Patriot League Co-Rookie of the Year Cassie Barbaresi (Bradenton, Fla.) is Navy's spark off the bench where she has punched in 25 points on six goals and 13 assists. She set up Navy's game-winning goal in its Patriot League Tournament semifinal match-up against Lehigh and is No. 7 in the country with her 0.65 assists per game average. </p>
<p>Defensively, Navy is led by Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year Lizzie Barnes (New Orleans, La.) who is ranked No. 1 in the nation in GAA (0.16) and save percentage (.958). Barnes has turned in 12 solo shutouts this fall, a Navy single-season record, and is responsible for just three of Navy's five surrendered goals. Freshman Shelly Moeller (Milford, Ohio), the Patriot League Co-Defensive Player of the Year, has enjoyed a sensational campaign in a Navy uniform. Not only has Moeller been a wall on defense, she is also an offensive threat. She owns the second-most goals on the team with eight and fired in both game-winners for the Mids in the conference tournament to earn Patriot League Tournament MVP recognition. </p>
<p>William & Mary, who received one of the 34 at-large bids, is making it's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 15 years and has been the recipient of an invitation to the national tournament 21 times. Ironically, three of the last four NCAA Tournament appearances by the Tribe have begun with opening-round matches in Chapel Hill. </p>
<p>The Tribe, who are under the direction of 20th-year head coach John Daly, own a 16-1-3 recording and produced a 10-0-1 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association. In addition to putting together an undefeated record in conference action and finishing atop the regular-season league standings, William & Mary is unbeaten in its last 16 matches, a program record. Its only loss of the season was a 2-1 decision at Auburn on Sept. 3. Since that game, the Tribe have recorded a 13-0-3 mark and are coming off a 1-1 tied against Old Dominion in the CAA Tournament semifinals. ODU edged William & Mary in penalty kicks, 6-5, to advance to the CAA Championship Game and eventually win the conference crown. </p>
<p>Sophomore forward Claire Zimmeck, the 2006 CAA Player of the Year, is pacing the Tribe with 32 points on 14 goals and four assists. She has driven in six of William & Mary's 16 game-winners this fall. Junior Donna Mataya is the team's second-leading scorer with 24 points on 11 goals and a pair of assists, while she has been responsible for four game-winners. Second-Team All-CAA keeper Meghan Walker has given up 15 goals and owns a 0.72 goals-against average. She has warded off 83.7 percent of the shots she has faced (77 saves) and has led the Tribe to 10 shutouts. </p>
<p>Friday's match-up will mark the first contest between the two programs.</p>