The Boston College men's soccer team received some great news on Monday afternoon. The No. 13 Eagles were able to parlay a successful run in the ACC Tournament into the nation's fourth overall seed in the 2011 NCAA Championship.
The Eagles will have a bye in the first round and will host the winner of the first-round game between Colgate (11-4-6) and Rutgers (9-6-3) on Sunday, November 20 at 1 p.m. at the Newton Soccer Field. If chalk holds, the winner of the BC vs. Colgate/Rutgers game will play the 13th seeded U.C.L.A. Bruins, again at home on Newton Campus.
If the Eagles should advance past Colgate / Rutgers in the second round and U.C.L.A. / Delaware / Virginia in the third, they would host an Elight Eight matchup against #5 Maryland. Win three games and it's off to the College Cup and the National Semifinals in Hoover, Alabama on December 9.
Here's how BC's side of the bracket and path to the 2011 College Cup shapes up:
First round - Xavier (12-4-4) at West Virginia (10-7-1)
Second round - Winner at No. 5 Maryland (13-3-3)
First round - Loyola Chicago (7-11-2) at Bradley (14-5-2)
Second round - Winner at No. 12 Louisville (12-6-2)
First round - Delaware (12-5-4) at Virginia (12-7-1)
Second round - Winner at No. 13 UCLA (15-4-1)
First round - Colgate (11-4-6) at Rutgers (9-6-3)
Second round - Winner at No. 4 Boston College (14-6)
As for how they got there, BC was ranked seventh in the RPI going into this week's ACC Tournament, but was able to move up into one of the top four spots with wins over No. 4 Maryland and No. 24 Duke this past week. The Eagles have four wins over the the RPI Top 25, all since October 22. Clearly the Eagles deep run in this year's ACC Tournament helped BC out tremendously when it came time to seed the field of 48.
DAP to Ed Kelly and the Eagles on making a program-best fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 11th overall. Kelly has led BC to 10 (of 11) NCAA Tournament appearances in 1990, 2000-02, 2004 and 2007-11.
Go Eagles!