Women's Division: Ottawa Swoops on Vegas

The top teams in the Women's Division had a chance to breathe a slight sigh of relief before they took the fields of Las Vegas, as this is the one major tournament where the Division's dominant team does not loom over the entire field. Six-time National Champion Stanford was packing their swim suits and sun tan lotion with their jerseys and cleats to head to a different paradise, though the early betting line still has them as the favorite in Boulder. With almost all of the remaining National Title contenders converging on a gambler's paradise this weekend, the team that would emerge from the field victorious was one that almost no one would have bet on.

Among the Quarterfinalists were many safer bets than the tournament's champion. National Runners-Up California-Santa Barbara ('07) and UCLA ('06) were joined by Wisconsin, Colorado, Washington, and British Columbia, teams on most short lists of National contenders. Joining them were unheralded Ottawa and Whitman. With the unexpected results in the Men's Division coming on Saturday night, the Women's Division picked up where the men left off on Sunday. Though they had rolled through the tournament, surrendering only fourteen goals in six games, Ottawa was far from the favorite heading into Sunday.

UCLA had been the Runner-Up at this tournament in consecutive years, and in spite of some major roster overhaul, looked in great position to improve upon that result. The other two teams from the Southwest Region also had impressive showings, as UCSB and Colorado looked to capitalize on the relative advantage of being closest to home. Wisconsin continued its roll from Mardi Gras and seems ready to vault to the top of the Division. Finally, the team from Canada most likely to win this tournament was the feisty team from UBC, not the one that ultimately took Sunday by storm.

Ottawa, though, would make its statement early, handling Washington 10-6 and then getting the best of Wisconsin 13-11. Meanwhile, UBC and UCSB fought to the finish for the chance to play UCLA, with UBC taking the 13-12 win. That left UCLA to pick them apart for the 12-8 win, setting up a third straight trip to the Finals. Once again, this was to be UCLA's destiny, the bridesmaid and not the bride; given the rest of the tumult of the weekend in both divisions, fittingly Ottawa was triumphant, 14-10.

With Stanford set to join the rest of the NCUS at its home tournament, The Stanford Invite, its main rivals may long regret not taking advantage of their absence and claiming valuable points toward the NCUS Grand Prize. Now, once again, the road to the top of the Women's Division will run directly through Palo Alto, as the winner of the upcoming Premier Event could position itself as the favorite for the NCUS Grand Prize. The National Title might be an entirely different and perhaps foreign story for the Women's Division.