HEAD COACH DEAN JOSEPH
Itta Bena, MS---The Mississippi Valley State
University Devilettes, winners of the 2005
Southwestern Athletic Conference soccer tournament,
will travel to Los Angeles, CA to take on the Lady
Bruins of UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Women’s
College Cup, the NCAA’s Division I women’s soccer
tournament. 

This is the first time that a SWAC team has competed
in the NCAA playoffs and serves as a climax and a
wonderful reward to the Devilettes’ who captured their
first ever conference title just a day ago in a 2-1
win over the Lady Tigers of Jackson State University.

In anticipation of the announcement head coach Dean
Joseph, SWAC Coach of the Year, and the Devilettes
assembled today in the Ashley Ambrose Lounge of the
MVSU’s Devils’ Den to watch the selection show live on
ESPN News.

“We are the best team in this conference and we are
going to play our hardest,” said Joseph. “These
ladies have endured a lot this season and they truly
deserve to be there” 

Although excited about their first ever trip out west,
the Devilettes remain optimistic about facing last
years national runner-up. “I knew that we were going
to get one of the top seeds in the country, Joseph
said. “Every team is human and can be beaten. Right
now we will find out as much as possible about UCLA
and be as prepared as possible to beat them.”

Valley (10-7-2) is by Sheena Cussen (2nd team
All-SWAC), Sonia Curvelo (SWAC Tournament MVP) and
Maria Del Guercio (1st team All-SWAC). Cussen and
Curvelo each had eight goals and three assists while
Del Guercio had 85 saves on the season.

The match will take place Friday, November 11 at 5
p.m. at UCLA’s Drake Stadium. Other teams
participating in the sub-regional include UC-Riverside
(11-4-5) and Colorado (12-7-3).

-MVSU-