2025 NCAA Division I Tournament: Opening & First Round

Host: North Carolina | Chapel Hill, N.C.

Two Philadelphia schools will travel to North Carolina to play in one of two First Round matches of the NCAA Tournament. A match-up that ended in shootouts in the regular season, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will move on. Tune in to ESPN+ on Wednesday to see No. 20 Drexel take on Saint Joseph’s.

Without a case for an at-large bid, both teams–ranked the No. 3 seed in their respective conferences–knew they had to win big to keep their seasons alive. Drexel took down No. 2 seed Northeastern, 3-2, in a gritty Coastal Athletic Conference (CAA) semifinal, then followed it up with another 3-2 win against top-seeded Monmouth in the final. The Dragons had lost both of those match-ups previously.

It was a nearly identical story for the Hawks, who flipped their two Atlantic 10 (A10) regular season losses to victories in the A10 tournament. Saint Joseph’s garnered a 3-2 win in shootouts over VCU in the semifinals, and followed with a 2-0 shutout over No. 1 seed Richmond in the championship.

Last season, Saint Joseph’s made it all the way to the NCAA Championship, where they fell to Northwestern, while this is Drexel’s first time in the tournament since 2012. In their meeting this fall, the Dragons were victorious, 3-2, after shootouts.

FINAL: DREXEL 0 - 2 SAINT JOSEPH'S

Host: Princeton | Princeton, N.J.

It will be another hard outcome to predict over in Princeton, N.J., when No. 20 Fairfield takes on Boston University. Watch it live at 2:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Fairfield had a fairly straightforward entry into the NCAA Tournament, winning the NEC title for the second consecutive year to snag the automatic bid. The Stags went 9-0 in NEC play, earning the top-seed in the conference tournament and shutting out both Rider (2-0) and Wagner (3-0) in the semifinal and final, respectively. Last fall, Fairfield’s postseason dreams were cut short by a 2-1 OT loss to Delaware in the First Round.

It was a bit more of a Cinderella story for Boston University, who is the only team with a sub .500 record to feature in the NCAA Tournament. The 8-10 Terriers just barely made it into the Patriot League tournament, finishing 3-3 in conference and garnering the fourth and final spot. Once in, Boston University got hot at the right time–defeating No. 1 seed American, 1-0, in the semifinal–then taking down No. 2 seed Lafayette in dramatic fashion. In the back-and-forth 3-2 win, Caroline O'Brien was a player possessed–notching a hat trick and earning Tournament MVP honors.

The Terriers are back in the postseason for the first time since 2018, when they fell to Miami (OH) in the First Round. Boston University has won all ten meetings with Fairfield, most recently in 2017.

FINAL: FAIRFIELD 1 - 0 BOSTON U

Photo by Jeffrey A. Camarati

It will be an emotional rematch on Friday for North Carolina and Saint Joseph’s, with the No. 1 Tar Heels hosting. 

Last fall the Hawks handed North Carolina their first and only loss of the season, defeating them 2-1 in the NCAA Semifinals and shocking the nation. This year, the hosts are again in rare form, and will be seeking revenge. It will be an uphill battle for Saint Joseph’s, who made it into the First Round after a 2-0 Opening Round victory over Drexel. Graduate transfer Carly Hynd tallied both goals, just her third and fourth of the season.

It’s been said before, but it can be said again–the North Carolina offense is strong. The threat of attack from a number of athletes (Dani Mendez, Ryleigh Heck, Charly Bruder, and Reese Anetsberger to name a few) coupled with the stable prowess of players like Sietske Brüning and Isabel Boere makes it difficult for even the toughest of opponent’s defense to keep up.

Duke and Iowa meet for the first time since 2019 for a NCAA First Round contest in Chapel Hill.

It will be an interesting match-up on Friday, with both teams getting into the NCAA postseason on at-large bids after falling in their respective conference tournament. Iowa was surprisingly the only team from the Big Ten (B1G) to garner a bid, joining B1G champion Northwestern in the bracket. The Hawkeyes fell to Northwestern, 3-0, in the B1G final after defeating Indiana and Ohio State. 

Duke suffered a 5-2 loss to North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) semifinal, after ending the regular season with a narrow 2-1 OT loss to the Tar Heels. Duke was one of four ACC teams to receive an at-large bid.

In terms of offensive power, each team has a standout. For the Hawkeyes, it is junior Dionne van Aalsum, who leads the nation in goals per game (1.42), with 27 goals this season. The Blue Devils boast Alaina McVeigh, who tallied her 100th career point last weekend after scoring twice against North Carolina. Both teams also have goalkeepers with accolades of their own this season– for Iowa and for Duke.

Last season, Duke fell to North Carolina in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, while Iowa is back after missing out in 2024.

Princeton Athletics

Fairfield advanced to the First Round with their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2019, defeating Boston University, 1-0, on Wednesday. It was a goal from senior Rylee LaLoup, her ninth of the season, that made the difference. The Stags will face No. 3 Princeton, who cemented itself as a powerhouse this season after winning the Ivy League championship over Harvard last Sunday. Ivy League co-Offensive Player of the Year and Tournament Most Outstanding Player Beth Yeager scored the winning goal off a penalty corner.

The 15-3 Tigers earned the right to a host site and will be rearing to advance after falling to Saint Joseph’s in the Second Round last season.

This will be just the second all-time meeting between the Stags and Tigers, who last faced off in 2013. Princeton won that match 4-3.

FINAL: PRINCETON 3 - 1 FAIRFIELD

After winning the automatic spot as BIG EAST champion, Liberty returns to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five years. Last year the Flames missed out, and in 2023 dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss to none other than Syracuse. 

The Orange are in the postseason for the fifth-straight year, falling to Harvard in overtime in 2024. One of four ACC teams to receive an at-large bid, Syracuse has taken down teams like Wake Forest, Duke, and Princeton. They failed to topple Virginia, both in the regular season (2-1) and in the ACC Semifinal (3-2 in shootouts). 

In a fun spot of fate, Syracuse’s Director of Operations Bryn Underwood will face her twin sister, Reagan Underwood, who is an assistant coach for her alma mater, Liberty.

FINAL: LIBERTY 2 - 3 (SO) SYRACUSE

Photo by Edward Monigan IV / Harvard Athletics

No. 3 Harvard came up just short of taking an undefeated record into the NCAA Tournament, falling 2-1 to Princeton in the Ivy League Championship, but earned the right to host for the first time in 21 years. The Crimson, 17-1 on the year, welcome in the America East champions New Hampshire.

Harvard swept the Ivy League year-end awards, with its coaching staff led by Tjerk van Herwaarden nabbing its first Coaching Staff of the Year Award alongside Defensive Player of the Year Bronte-May Brough, Co-Offensive Player of the Year Sage Piekarski, and Rookie of the Year Linde Burger. Burger, a goalkeeper, and Brough, the anchor of the defense, guided the Crimson to the second-best goals against average (0.65) mark in the country. Piekarski paced the 13th-best offense with 13 goals, while Laura Beekhuis and Martha le Huray both tallied 11.

The visiting Wildcats are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013, rattling off five straight wins to end the year. Senior captain Nicole Poulakis was instrumental in the America East title, scoring twice in semifinal win against Albany before scoring a double-overtime gamewinner to knock off top-seeded Vermont. New Hampshire boasts an elite offense, averaging 3.6 goals per game (5th) behind the Offensive Player of the Year in Poulakis, who has 23 goals.

FINAL: NEW HAMPSHIRE 2 - 8 HARVARD

Two programs with championship pedigree meet in Cambridge as Wake Forest, who claimed a share of the ACC regular season title, takes on Big East runners-up UConn. The only other time these two schools have met was back in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, when the Demon Deacons won 3-0 en route to one of its three national titles. The Huskies, on the other hand, have five.

Wake Forest had a prolific regular season, earning four of the ACC’s five yearly awards. The Demon Deacons are a dangerous team on attack, averaging over three and a half goals per game behind Offensive Player of the Year Mia Schoenbeck (23 goals). They’ve been tough to crack defensively, too, thanks to Defensive Player of the Year Mia Montag and Freshman of the Year Reabetswe Phume.

UConn was dealt a heartbreaking overtime loss in the Big East final against Liberty, but earned an at-large bid thanks to one of the toughest schedules in the country (fourth in strength of schedule). The Huskies looked the part of a tough out against the Flames and are the last non-ACC or Big Ten team to claim a national championship back in 2017. Keep an eye on midfielder Sol Simone, the Big East Co-Midfielder of the Year, as she tallied a team-high 12 assists and facilitates the offense.

FINAL: WAKE FOREST 0 - 2 UCONN

Virginia Athletics

One of three teams that finished tied atop the ACC regular season standings, No. 4 Virginia hosts MAC champions Miami of Ohio in what will be the 11th meeting in as many seasons between the two NCAA Tournament regulars. The host Cavaliers hold a decisive 13-0 edge in the all-time series, but each of the last six games have been decided by two goals or less.

Virginia’s two losses have both come to top-seeded North Carolina — first in a mid-October regular season game and the second in the ACC Championship. The Cavaliers have been very impressive otherwise, particularly defensively. The ACC Goalkeeper of the Year Nilou Lempers has piled up eight shutouts this year, seven against ranked opponents, as part of a defense that ranked sixth in goals against average (0.97). Virginia is hunting for its first national championship.

The RedHawks enter with eight wins in a row, the latest a dramatic 2-1 double-overtime win in the MAC Championship against UMass. Three of their four losses on the year came to NCAA Tournament teams and it’s a program that’s no stranger to the postseason: They have won the last eight MAC titles. Miami earned four of the five conference awards, including Offensive Player of the Year Malena Sabez (23 goals), Defensive Player of the Year Berta Mata (20 assists), and Freshman of the Year Justina Intzes (19 goals).

FINAL: MIAMI 2 - 1 VIRGINIA

Likely entering the postseason with a chip on its shoulder after being denied a hosting spot as the Big Ten champions and defending national champions, Northwestern takes on the Ivy League’s Yale in Charlottesville. The Wildcats, on a seven-game winning streak after polishing off a perfect Big Ten campaign, have never faced the Bulldogs who will be making their first NCAA Tournament appearance.

Yale opened the year on a five-game winning streak and has leaned on its defense throughout the season. The Bulldogs feature dynamic freshman goalkeeper Amelie Schwarzkopf, who has helped them to a 1.26 goals against average (15th) mark while defender Hettie Whittington has been instrumental. The name to know up top is Poppy Beales, a senior forward who helped Yale to its first-ever Ivy League Tournament appearance with a team-high 12 goals.

Northwestern lost just one game all season — to Ivy League champions and No. 2 seed Princeton — and are a perfect 14-0 away from home. The title defense has featured the usual suspects as an unblemished 10-0 record against Big Ten sides saw them nearly sweep the conference’s awards. Player of the Year Maddie Zimmer, Offensive Player of the Year Ashley Sessa, and Defensive Player of the Year Ilse Tromp were all stars in last year’s sweep through the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats lead the nation in goals against average (0.58) and are fourth in goals per game (3.68).

FINAL: NORTHWESTERN 5 - 1 YALE