MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 7-ranked West Virginia University women's soccer team earned a No. 2 seed in the 2017 NCAA Tournament and will face Bucknell in the first round on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 1 p.m., at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
 
Tickets for Saturday's match will go on sale at WVUGAME.com at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students and youth and $2 for groups of 10 or more. WVU students will be admitted for free with a valid WVU student I.D.
 
Last seeded No. 2 in 2015, the Mountaineers (15-3-2, 7-1-1) have been seeded in the last four tournaments. The 2016 NCAA National Runner-Up, WVU was seeded No. 1 last season.
 
The Mountaineers advance to the NCAA Tournament for the 18th straight season, the seventh-longest active streak nationally.
 
"I couldn't be more excited to get a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament," Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "We're looking forward to playing Bucknell. Obviously, they are a conference champion and are going to be a tough opponent. We're excited we'll see them in Morgantown.
 
"I'm so thrilled for our seniors. They've worked so hard over the course of their years at West Virginia. This couldn't be a better plan for them and what they want to accomplish this year in the NCAA Tournament. I'm excited, and I want to thank everyone who has supported us this season. Now, we'll need that support even more in our quest for a National Championship."
 
WVU is serving as one of 32 hosts for the first round of the national tournament – the sixth season under this format. Saturday's winner will advance to play the winner of Rutgers (12-2-5) – La Salle (17-3-2).
 
As a No. 2 seed, the Mountaineers have secured home field advantage through the NCAA Third Round. WVU has hosted the NCAA Tournament in 11 previous seasons (2001-03, 2007, 2010-16).
 
Saturday is the first-ever meeting between WVU and Bucknell (12-8, 7-2 Patriot League). The Bison claimed the Patriot League Championship for the second straight season with a 3-2 win over Navy on Nov. 5. Senior forward Kendall Ham tallied three goals in the first 21 minutes of the match to push Bucknell to victory.
 
Unbeaten in its last nine matches, WVU bowed out of the 2017 Big 12 Soccer Championship on Friday, Nov. 3, drawing eventual runner-up TCU 1-1 (2OT). The Horned Frogs advanced on a 5-3 edge in penalties. Down one goal, senior defender Amandine Pierre-Louis delivered the equalizer in the 77th minute.
 
Senior forward Michaela Abam paces WVU with 19 points on a team-best eight goals and three assists. Senior midfielder Alli Magaletta ranks No. 2 with 13 points (5 G, 3 A), while junior forward Sh'Nia Gordon shows a team-high seven assists.
 
The WVU backline has posted 11 shutouts this season, with 10 credited to sophomore Rylee Foster, who shows a 0.59 goals-against average and ranks No. 24 nationally.
 
Thirty-one conferences were granted automatic bids for the 2017 championship, while the remaining 33 teams were selected at-large. The top 16 teams are seeded and conference teams cannot play each other in the first or second rounds. When pairing teams, the committee follows geographic proximity parameters. The top 16 teams will host and all other sites were selected for the first round to create the least number of flights.
 
First-round games will be played Nov. 10, 11 and 12 at campus sites. Second-round games will be played Friday, Nov. 17, at campus sites and third-round games will be played Sunday, Nov. 19, at the same campus sites. Quarterfinal games will be played Nov. 24 or 25 also on campus sites.
 
The 36th annual NCAA Women's College Cup will be played Dec. 1 and 3 at Orlando City Soccer Stadium in Orlando, Florida, with UCF and Central Florida Sports Commission serving as co-hosts. The first national semifinal will be played and broadcast live on ESPNU at 5 p.m. EST Friday, Dec. 1. The second semifinal will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. EST live on ESPNU. The national championship match will take place at noon Eastern time Sunday, Dec. 3 and will also broadcast live on ESPNU.