CINCINNATI --- The Xavier women's soccer team has advanced to its second NCAA Tournament appearance behind a pair of 1-0 shutouts this weekend in the Atlantic 10 Tournament at XU's Corcoran Field. The 14-6-1 Musketeers have tied the school record for wins in a season. They last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 1998 after winning the A-10 Title that year.

Illinois will host Xavier for an NCAA First Round match on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. in Champaign, Ill. The Fighting Illini received an at-large bid after a 13-7 season. It's their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The winner of Wednesday's match will play at seventh-seeded Penn State on Saturday or Sunday.

Xavier received an automatic bid to the tournament after beating Dayton 1-0 in the Championship Match on Sunday. The only goal of the contest came 14 seconds before halftime when freshman Tracy Kennedy(Lakeside Park, KY/Holy Cross) found the back of the net with a turnaround shot from close range. Sophomore Tricia Ruszkowski (Cincinnati/St.Ursuline) got the assist after her throw in landed in front of the goal to set up Kennedy's score.

Friday's semifinals lasted into the second overtime before senior Annette Gruber (Cincinnati, OH/St. Ursula) scored the game-winner when she volleyed a cross over the head of the Massachusetts goalkeeper to give XU the 1-0 win. Freshman Lindsay Yonadi (Boca Raton, FL/Spanish River) set up the play with a pass downfield, and senior Margaret Broe (Cincinnati/St.Ursula) sent the crossing pass to Gruber.

Sophomore goalkeeper Megan Veith (Cincinnati/St. Ursula) made 13 saves in the two games while becoming the fourth goalie in Atlantic 10 Championship history to record shutouts in two A-10 Tournament games. She now has a school record 11 shutouts this season.

Veith earned All-Championship honors for her work in the net. Gruber was named the "Most Outstanding Player" for the second year in a row. Junior defender Liz Singer (Cincinnati/Roger Bacon) was named to the All-Championship Team for the third time. Broe and Yonadi were also named to the All-Championship Team.

Gruber was named to the All-Conference First Team for the fourth time in her career at the Awards Banquet that kicked off Championship Weekend. Senior midfielder Erin Coley (Westerville, OH/Westerville South) was named to the All A-10 First Team for the second straight season. Singer earned her first All-Conference citation with a spot on the A-10's Second Team. The freshman duo of Yonadi and flip throw artist Nicole Giesting(Cincinnati/McAuley) were both named to the All-Rookie Team.