The 2016 Big 12 Soccer Championship kicks off Wednesday with four quarterfinal matches at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri.
The annual tournament features three teams currently ranked in the latest NSCAA Top 25 poll — No. 1 West Virginia, No. 24 Oklahoma and No. 25 Kansas. Wednesday’s slate begins with top-ranked West Virginia hosting Texas Tech at 11:30 a.m. CT, followed by Oklahoma vs. Iowa State at 2 p.m., Kansas vs. TCU at 5:30 p.m. and Baylor vs. Oklahoma State at 8 p.m.
The four quarterfinal winners will then advance to Friday’s semifinals, featuring a doubleheader at 4:30 and 7 p.m. CT. The championship match will kick off Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CT with an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship on the line.
Tickets for the 2016 Big 12 Soccer Championship are available at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL. Day passes are on sale for $10 and three-day passes are on sale for $15. A 15-ticket team pack is also available for $100 (use BIG12 promo code).
2016 Big 12 Soccer Championship Schedule
Wednesday, Nov. 2
- Game 1: 11:30 a.m. CT -- #1 West Virginia vs. #8 Texas Tech
- Game 2: 2:00 p.m. CT -- #4 Oklahoma vs. #5 Iowa State
- Game 3: 5:30 p.m. CT -- #2 Kansas vs. #7 TCU
- Game 4: 8:00 p.m. CT -- #3 Baylor vs. #6 Oklahoma State
Friday, Nov. 4
- Game 5: 4:30 p.m. CT -- Winner G1 vs. Winner G2
- Game 6: 7:00 p.m. CT -- Winner G3 vs. Winner G4
Sunday, Nov. 6
- Game 6: 2:30 p.m. CT -- Winner G5 vs. Winner G6
2016 Big 12 Soccer Championship Participants
1. West Virginia Mountaineers (16-1-1, 8-0-0)
@WVUWomensSoccer
The Mountaineers cruised to a fifth straight Big 12 regular season title, winning all eight conference matches without conceding a single goal. Currently atop the NSCAA and Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 national polls, West Virginia is led by Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Kadeisha Buchanan (2 goals, 1 assist) and Co-Offensive Player of the Year Michaela Abam (8 goals, 4 assists). Defender Amandine Pierre-Louis (2 goals, 3 assists) and midfielders Ashley Lawrence (1 goal, 6 assists) and Carla Portillo (4 goals, 6 assists) were also All-Big 12 First Team selections.
2. Kansas Jayhawks (10-4-4, 5-1-2)
@KUWSoccer
The Jayhawks have exceeded 2016 expectations under head coach Mark Francis. Picked seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll, Kansas suffered just one conference defeat and received its first national ranking of the year last week. Forward Grace Hagan (7 goals, 3 assists) landed All-Big 12 First Team honors, while defender Kayla Morrison and midfielders Tayler Estrada and Hanna Kallmaier earned second team recognition. Kansas' second-place finish is its highest since 2004.
3. Baylor Bears (11-6-1, 4-3-1)
@BaylorFutbol
The Bears lifted the 2012 Big 12 Championship and will look for a second title behind All-Big 12 First Team selection Julie James (2 goals, 5 assists). Standout sophomore and all-conference second team honoree Lauren Piercy (7 goals, 2 assists) is another key contributor in the midfield, while forward Raegan Padgett (3 goals, 3 assists) earned Big 12 All-Freshman accolades.
4. Oklahoma Sooners (12-5-2, 4-3-1)
@OU_WSoccer
The Sooners are seeking their first-ever Big 12 Championship after racking up 12 regular season wins, their most since 2010 and tied for the second most in program history. Defender Rachel Ressler (4 goals, 1 assist) was an All-Big 12 First Team honoree, while the all-conference second team included defender Paige Welch, forward Elizabeth Keester (8 goals, 6 assists), and midfielders Jemma Cota and Tori Bowman.
5. Iowa State Cyclones (10-7-1, 3-4-1)
@CycloneSCR
Iowa State reached double-digit victories for the first time since 2012 and will be making its first Big 12 Championship appearance since 2013. Nine of the Cyclones' 10 wins have come in shutout fashion, and their two victories against Top 25 opponents are tied for second-most in the league.
6. Oklahoma State Cowgirls (9-7-3, 3-4-1)
@CowgirlFC
Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 with 39 goals scored, spread among 15 players throughout the 2016 campaign. On the flip side, no team in the league has conceded more goals than the Cowgirls' 26. Forward Courtney Dike (9 goals, 7 assists) was named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while defender Natalie Calhoun (2 goals) was a second-team selection.
7. TCU Horned Frogs (10-5-2, 2-5-1)
@TCUsoccer
The Horned Frogs went 8-0-1 during their non-conference campaign before finishing seventh in the Big 12. TCU failed to win its first six conference matches but closed out the season with home wins over Texas Tech and Texas to secure a spot in the Big 12 Championship. Junior forward Emma Heckendorn (3 goals, 9 assists) was a member of the All-Big 12 First Team.
8. Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-7-2, 2-6-0)
@TexasTechSoccer
The reigning Big 12 Championship winners were ranked 19th nationally in the NSCAA preseason poll, but a 2-6-0 conference mark dropped the Red Raiders to an 8-seed in this year's tournament. Goalkeeper Lauren Watson was a preseason all-conference selection and backed it up en route to All-Big 12 First Team honors, recording six shutouts this season.
