New York University's women's soccer team received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship tournament and was selected as one of 16 first and second round hosts, announced by the NCAA via its selection show this afternoon.

It's the fourth NCAA bid in program history and first since 2018. The Violets were defeated in the first round in 2018 and 2014, but advanced to the third round in their first-ever appearance in 2002. NYU is part of an impressive seven of the eight University Athletic Association (UAA) women's soccer teams to receive tournament bids in 2023.

"We're very excited, it's definitely been one of our goals. To see it and feel the reality, everybody was just popped," said Head Coach Scott Waddell. "The team is really talented so I really did think that we were going to make the tournament. I think we made it emphatically because we're hosting, which I wasn't sure about, but I knew the team was talented and I was confident that we'd make it."

NYU will take on Southern Virginia University in the opening round on Friday, November 10, at 1:00 p.m. at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium in Newark, NJ. The Violets will also welcome fellow UAA member Carnegie Mellon University and Washington & Lee University to the tri-state area. Those two sides will play on Friday at 3:30 p.m. with the advancing teams facing off on Saturday, November 11, at 3 p.m.

"It's the same process that we use to prepare for anybody else," Waddell noted. "The turnaround for a possible second game would be a lot faster than we've ever done before, but we're excited to do what we do."

In his first season at the helm, after serving as an assistant coach at NYU from 2016-20, Waddell guided the Violets to a 12-2-2 record and 3-2-2 mark in the UAA. His side did not concede a goal until their seventh game of the season, out-scoring opponents 40-1 during a 7-0-0 start to the year.

NYU ranks seventh in Division III in goals per game (4.06), 11th in shots on goal per game (11.94) and 12th in total goals (single-season program record 65), leading the UAA in all three categories. The Violets' attack has been paced by graduate student Gabriella Funk and senior Kelli Keady with 12 goals apiece on the year. Graduate student Makenzie Rodrigues is third on the team with nine as part of 10 Violets with three-or-more goals in 2023.

"It's just complete excitement and joy, we've been waiting a long time to have a season like this," Keady said. "I feel like it's fate that they're in our bracket because that goal against Carnegie (to draw 1-1 on October 29) was a moment three years in the making. Having the leadership and experience to score like that, that's what the season's all been about. Having faith in making the tournament, trusting the process, trusting Scott and the new vision for the team. That moment was a celebration of all of it so it's pretty sweet."

Funk enters the postseason leading the Violets in assists (eight) and points (32), along with her team-high-tying 12 goals. The California native also broke the program's career records in points (79) and assists (21) this year while ranking second all-time in goals (29).

"I couldn't believe it, since we played on Saturday I've been so anxious and excited," Funk said. "We had a really great season, worked so hard and I'm excited that it's not over. I was just so happy and can't even put it into words, especially because I've never made the tournament. We did it together as a team, every season has been so different and this year everything has come together."

Directions, ticketing/parking information and additional details on the first and second rounds can be found on the tournament homepage.