NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University women's soccer team is primed to make a deep run into the postseason, starting with the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament on Monday afternoon. The Wildcats earned the No. 3 seed and will host the No. 6 Dominican Chargers in the First Round.
Monday will be the third postseason battle between the two programs, but the first postseason meeting since 2007. The Wildcats are 1-0-2 against the Chargers in the postseason, with the 2004 CACC Tournament Championship game and the 2007 CACC Tournament First Round going into penalty kicks. The Chargers won the 2004 Championship in PKs, 3-0, while the Wildcats advanced in 2007, 4-2.
The Wildcats and Chargers played to a 1-1 draw on October 26 here at the WU Athletics Complex. Alyssa Ruggeri scored in the 38th minute but the Chargers answered with a goal in the 78th minute to tie things up. The Wildcats led in shots, 12-10.
The Wildcats earned the No. 3 seed and a home game with an 8-2-1 CACC record, capturing 25 points to trail only Jefferson and Caldwell. Dominican finished 2024 in sixth place with a 5-4-2 CACC record and 17 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. Dominican: https://wildcats.athletics.wilmu.edu/sports/wsoc/2024-25/boxscores/20241111_1ipo.xml
Live Video vs. Dominican: https://caccnetwork.com/athleticswilmu/?B=1565843
CACC Tournament Central: https://caccathletics.org/tournaments/?id=5
Scouting the No. 3 Wilmington University Wildcats:
The Wildcats come into the CACC Tournament on a five-game unbeaten streak, going 4-0-1 since a 2-1 loss to Jefferson on October 17.
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 comes into today's game 4th in the CACC in scoring 1.88 goals per game and 3rd overall in only allowing 0.94 goals per game.
Jordan Siok leads the Wildcats and is 4th in the CACC with nine goals on the year. Five of her nine goals have gone as game-winners, tied atop the lead in the CACC. She is also 5th in the CACC with 22 points, adding four assists on the year.
Evelyn Payne and Brianna Wons have six goals and an assist for 13 points each on the year while Maria Leguizamon has two goals and two assists from her centerback position.
Arianna Myers has played all 16 games, making 15 starts and carries a 1.16 goals against average into the postseason. She's made 41 saves and has a .788 save percentage. Mio Nakajima has appeared in 14 games, making two starts and carries a 0.75 goals against average with a .821 save percentage into the postseason.
Scouting the No. 6 Dominican University of New York Chargers:
Dominican comes into the postseason after a 3-1 win at Feiician in the regular season finale. They are 2-2-1 in their last five matches, and 4-4-2 since the start of October.
The Chargers are sixth in the CACC in scoring 1.82 goals per game while ranking eighth overall in allowing 2.29 goals per game.
Dominican is led by Jessie Maraia who is third in the CACC with 10 goals while Isabella Wysocki is 7th overall with 8 goals this year. Kaitlyn Zeeb leads the CACC with 8 assists on the year as well. Maraia is 4th overall in points, tallying 23 on the year while Wysocki is 7th with 19.
Nelly Arvidsson has appeared in 10 games in goal with nine starts, allowing 23 goals with a .685 save percentage. Brielle Bell has started in seven games, allowing 16 goals with a .733 save percentage on the year.
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
2023 (0-1): #7 Bridgeport def. #2 Wilmington, 4-0
Overall: 10-13-3
Records vs. CACC Tournament Participants:
#1 Thomas Jefferson University Rams (14-1-2, 11-0-0 CACC): 2024: vs. L 2-1; All-Time: 5-17-1; CACC Tournament: 2-2
#2 Caldwell University Cougars (11-4-1, 9-2-0 CACC): 2024: vs. W 1-0; All-Time: 9-8-4; CACC Tournament: 0-1-1
#3: Wilmington University Wildcats (12-4-1, 8-2-1 CACC)
#4 Georgian Court University Lions (11-5-2, 8-3-0 CACC): 2024: at L 1-0; All-Time: 11-11-4; CACC Tournament: 2-3
#5 University of Bridgeport Purple Knights (7-8-3, 6-5-0 CACC): 2024: at W 2-1; All-Time: 2-12; CACC Tournament: 0-1
#6 Dominican University Chargers (7-8-2, 5-4-2 CACC): 2024: vs. T 1-1; All-Time: 11-7-5; CACC Tournament: 1-0-2
#7 Chestnut Hill College Griffins (5-8-1, 5-6-0 CACC): 2024: at W 2-1; All-Time: 13-2-2; CACC Tournament: 0-0
#8 Holy Family University Tigers (6-9-1, 5-6-0 CACC): 2024: at W 3-1; All-Time: 8-18-1; CACC Tournament: 1-7
2024 CACC Women's Soccer Championship Schedule:
Quarterfinals (Monday, Nov. 11, at Sites of Highest Seeds)
#8 Holy Family at #1 Jefferson (1 p.m.)
#5 Bridgeport at #4 Georgian Court (1 p.m.)
#7 Chestnut Hill at #2 Caldwell (1 p.m.)
#6 Dominican at #3 Wilmington (1 p.m.)
Semifinals (Thursday, Nov. 14, at Sites of Highest Seeds)
Jeff/HFU Winner vs. GCU/UB Winner (1 p.m.)
Caldwell/CHC Winner vs. WilmU/DomU Winner (1 p.m.)
Championship Final (Sunday, Nov. 17, at Wilmington University)
Semifinal Winner vs. Semifinal Winner (1 p.m.)