NCAA Bypasses UCI Women’s Soccer Team

UC Irvine women’s soccer Coach Marine Cano calmly received the news that his team was not going to the NCAA tournament.

“That’s it, it’s over,” Cano said Tuesday after the pairings were announced.

What questions Cano had were reserved for the big picture. Only four West Region teams--Santa Clara, Portland, UCLA and Brigham Young--made the tournament.

“I’m very surprised,” Cano said. “Only four teams from the West? I can’t comment on that. You have to call someone on the [selection] committee. I’m just totally confused. Four teams from the West?”

Cano had held out hope that UCI would make the tournament. The Anteaters (15-7) set a school record for victories and won the Big West Conference tournament with a 3-2 victory over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Sunday. The conference does not have an automatic tournament berth.

The Anteaters were ranked seventh in the West Region poll. Teams ahead of them, most notably USC, did not make the field either. Losses to Portland, UCLA and BYU this season did not help Irvine’s cause.

“We had a great season,” Cano said. “We are Big West champions and no one can take that away from us. I told the team yesterday that it was out of our hands and the [selection] committee was unpredictable.”