Oct. 31, 2012

• All four teams that advanced to this week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Soccer Championship semifinals at Cary, N.C., are ranked among the top 10 of this week’s NSCAA poll (Florida State No. 5, Virginia No. 7, Wake Forest No. 8 and Maryland No. 9) and by Soccer America (Florida State No. 2, Wake Forest No. 6, Maryland No. 7, Virginia No. 8).
  
  
• The four teams in this year’s ACC Championship have been among the conference’s most consistent in recent years. Wake Forest outlasted Maryland in a PK shootout to capture the 2010 ACC title. Last season saw Florida State claim the title over Wake Forest in similar fashion. Virginia was a semifinalist in 2011.
  
  
• This year’s semifinal games feature rematches of highly competitive regular-season games. Top-seeded Florida State edged Virginia, 1-0, in overtime at Tallahassee on Oct. 14 as Ines Jaurena delivered a golden goal penalty kick. Maryland claimed a 2-1 win at Wake Forest on Sept. 23 as Hayley Brock scored the first goal and assisted on the second (by Becky Kaplan).
  
  
• Florida State claimed the 2012 ACC regular season championship. It is the Seminoles’ second regular season conference title and second since 2009.
  
  
• Several competitors in the 2012 ACC Championship played key roles for the 2012 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup team that captured gold medal less than two months ago in Japan. The U-20 team was coached by Virginia’s Steve Swanson and included Florida State’s Kassey Kallman, Virginia’s Morgan Brian and Wake Forest’s Katie Stengel.
  
  
• The 2011 ACC championship was the first for Florida State. Wake Forest claimed its first ACC title in 2010. Virginia also owns one ACC women’s soccer championship (2004). Maryland is seeking to claim the ACC title for the first time.
  
  
• Both the 2010 and 2011 ACC Women’s Soccer Championship Most Valuable Players are still with their teams and will compete this weekend. Wake Forest junior Aubrey Bledsoe (2010) is in her third year in goal for the Demon Deacons, while Florida State’s Kelsey Wys (2011) is in her third season as the Seminoles’ goalkeeper.
  
  
• Maryland’s Jonathan Morgan is seeking to become the first ACC women’s soccer head coach to claim the league championship in his first year at helm.
  
  
• Since the ACC Championship began in 1988, the winner has gone on the capture the NCAA title 14 times. The ACC champion has advanced to the College Cup (final four) 21 times in 24 years.
  
  
• Three 2011 ACC Championship semifinalists (league champion Florida State, runner-up Wake Forest and regular-season champion Duke) reached the NCAA College Cup at Kennesaw, Ga.
  
  
• WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. is hosting the ACC Women’s Championship for the fifth straight year and for the ninth time in 10 years.
  
  
• North Carolina midfielder Amber Brooks and Duke goalkeeper Tara Campbell are two of 10 finalists for the 2012 Senior CLASS Award that honors achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through November 19 at www.seniorclassaward.com/vote. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches’ votes to determine the winner.