NEWARK, Del. - - After missing the postseason last year, the Wilmington University women's soccer team bounced back into form in 2023, earning the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament, earning a First Round home game against No. 7 Bridgeport on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at the WU Athletics Complex.

Sunday will be the first postseason battle between the two programs with Bridgeport joining the CACC ranks for the 2022 season. The Wildcats won the regular season battle against the Purple Knights, a 2-1 victory at home on October 14. It was the first time the Wildcats got the better of the Purple Knights in 13 tries all-time.

The Wildcats earned the No. 2 seed and a home game with an 8-1-2 CACC record, capturing 26 points to trail only Jefferson. Bridgeport, the reigning CACC Tournament Champions, finished 2023 in seventh place with a 5-5-1 CACC record and 16 points.

Tickets/Admission for CACC Tournament:

Adults: $10.00
Students, Children, and Senior Citizens: $5.00
WilmU Students w/ ID and Children under the age of three: Free

Links to Follow the CACC Tournament:

Live Stats vs. Bridgeport: https://wildcats.athletics.wilmu.edu/sports/wsoc/2023-24/boxscores/20231105_rb7i.xml
Live Video vs. Bridgeport: https://caccnetwork.com/wilmington/?bfplayvid=741020
CACC Tournament Central: https://www.caccathletics.org/sports/Championship/2023-24/WSOC

Scouting the No. 2 Wilmington University Wildcats:

The Wildcats come into the CACC Tournament on an 11-game unbeaten streak, going 9-0-2 since a 1-0 loss to Jefferson on Wednesday, September 27, where the Rams scored in the final four minutes of the game.

The Wildcats are vying for their second CACC Tournament Championship, winning the 2012 CACC Tournament Championship. They are also looking to make their second ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, coming into postseason play ranked No. 7 in the latest NCAA East Region Poll. Seven teams will be selected to participate in the NCAA East Region Tournament this season.

Wilmington is led by CACC points leader Manuela Restrepo, who is second in the CACC with 10 goals, leads the CACC with nine assists, and leads the CACC with 29 points. But she went down early in the Felician game with an injury on October 28 and hasn't played since.

Alyssa Ruggeri has stepped it up since returning from an injury, scoring 16 points in the final five games of the regular season. She is now fifth in the CACC with eight goals and 20 points on the season. Evelyn Payne is third on the team with six goals and 15 points while Brianna Wons is fourth on the team with four goals and 11 points.

As a team, the Wildcats lead the CACC by holding opponents to just 0.88 goals per game (15 total). They are also tops in the conference with 41 goals this season, averaging 2.41 goals per game. The defense is spearheaded by Mio Nakajma who leads the CACC with a 0.79 goals against average, second with an .814 save percentage, and fourth in the CACC with 57 saves.

Scouting the No. 7 University of Bridgeport Purple Knights:

The Purple Knights come to Newark after going 3-4-1 in the month of October, going 1-3 in their last four games overall. After a 2-1 victory against Georgian Court got them into the CACC Tournament, a 1-0 loss in the regular season finale to Dominican, 1-0, dropped them to seventh place in the CACC standings.

Bridgeport has the second leading point getter in the CACC in Kate Thill, as she is second in the CACC with 10 goals and 23 points. Tatianna Lizarraga is fifth in the CACC with eight goals on the year, as she ranks seventh in the CACC with 17 points on the year.

As a team, Bridgeport is second in the CACC with 37 goals on the year, averaging 2.18 per game. They lead the way in CACC games only though, scoring 30 goals. The defense is fourth in the league in allowing 20 goal for a 1.18 goals against average, and fourth overall in CACC games as well, allowing 12 goals for a 1.09 GAA. 

Wilmington in the CACC Tournament:

2004 (0-0-2): #2 Wilmington tied #3 Caldwell, 0-0 (Wilmington advances on PKs, 4-3); #4 Dominican tied #2 Wilmington, 0-0 (Dominican wins CACC Championship, 3-0, on PK's)
2005 (1-1): #5 Wilmington def. #4 Dominican, 3-2; #1 Holy Family def. #5 Wilmington, 4-1
2007 (0-1-1): #4 Wilmington tied #5 Dominican, 2-2 (Wilmington advances on PKs, 4-2); #1 Holy Family def. #4 Wilmington, 1-0
2009 (0-1): #4 Holy Family def. #5 Wilmington, 1-0
2010 (1-1): #1 Wilmington def. #8 Felician, 6-3; #4 Holy Family def. #1 Wilmington, 3-0
2012 (3-0): # 1 Wilmington def. #8 Felician, 2-1; #1 Wilmington def. #4 Georgian Court, 4-0; #1 Wilmington def. #2 Philadelphia, 1-0
2013 (0-1): #1 Holy Family def. #8 Wilmington, 2-1
2014 (0-1): #1 Philadelphia def. #8 Wilmington, 2-0
2015 (0-1): #5 Caldwell def. #4 Wilmington, 2-1
2016: (1-1): #5 Wilmington def. #4 Philadelphia, 2-1; #1 Georgian Court def. #5 Wilmington, 2-1
2017 (2-1): #2 Wilmington def. #7 Post, 2-1 (OT); #2 Wilmington def. #3 Holy Family, 3-1; #1 Georgian Court def. #2 Wilmington, 4-1
2018 (0-1): #3 Holy Family def. #6 Wilmington, 2-1
2019 (0-1): #2 Georgian Court def. #7 Wilmington, 3-0
2020 (DNP – COVID):
2021 (2-1): #4 Wilmington def. #5 Goldey-Beacom, 3-1; #4 Wilmington def. #8 Georgian Court, 4-1; #3 Jefferson def. #4 Wilmington, 2-0

Overall: 10-12-3

Records vs. CACC Tournament Participants:

#1 Thomas Jefferson University Rams (12-3-2, 10-0-1 CACC): 2023: vs. L 1-0; All-Time: 5-16-1; CACC Tournament: 2-2
#2: Wilmington University Wildcats (11-2-4, 8-1-2 CACC)
#3 Caldwell University Cougars (7-3-5, 5-1-5 CACC): 2023: at T 2-2; All-Time: 8-8-4; CACC Tournament: 0-1-1
#4 Holy Family University Tigers (6-7-3, 5-3-3 CACC): 2023: vs. W 3-1; All-Time: 7-18-1; CACC Tournament: 1-7
#5 Dominican University Chargers (6-6-3, 5-3-3 CACC): 2023: at W 5-2; All-Time: 11-7-4; CACC Tournament: 1-0-2
#6 Georgian Court University Lions (5-6-6, 4-2-5 CACC): 2023: vs. W 1-0; All-Time: 11-10-4; CACC Tournament: 2-3
#7 University of Bridgeport Purple Knights (7-7-3, 5-5-1 CACC): 2023: vs. W 2-1; All-Time: 1-12; CACC Tournament: 0-0
#8 Chestnut Hill College Griffins (5-8-2, 4-6-1 CACC): 2023: vs. T 1-1; All-Time: 12-2-2; CACC Tournament: 0-0

2023 CACC Women's Soccer Championship Schedule:

Quarterfinals (Sunday, Nov. 5, at Highest Seeds):
#8 Chestnut Hill at #1 Jefferson (1 p.m.)
#5 Dominican at #4 Holy Family (1 p.m.)
#7 Bridgeport at #2 Wilmington (1 p.m.)
#6 Georgian Court at #3 Caldwell (1 p.m.)

Semifinals (Friday, Nov. 10, at Knights Field at the University of Bridgeport):
#1/8 Winner vs. #4/5 Winner (10 a.m. | 1:00 p.m.)
#2/7 Winner vs. #3/6 Winner (10 a.m. | 1:00 p.m.)

**Highest remaining seed will play the day's first game at 10 a.m.

Championship Final (Sunday, Nov. 12, at Knights Field at the University of Bridgeport):
Semifinal #1 Winner vs. Semifinal #2 Winner (11 a.m.)