Sept. 11, 2003

FAIRFAX, VA ... The George Mason women's soccer team will host the George Mason/Kappa Invitational this weekend for the second straight year, and it once again promises to be an exciting tournament.

The 2003 George Mason/Kappa Invitational features conference and regional foe Delaware as the Patriots' co-host. Both teams will meet perennial Atlantic Coast Conference power North Carolina State (currently ranked seventh in the Southeast Region) and America East Conference standout Boston University in the two-game format at George Mason Stadium.

On Friday, Delaware (2-1-1) faces North Carolina State (3-1) at 5 p.m. before Mason (3-0-1) meets Boston University (0-2-1) at 7:30 p.m. The Fightin' Blue Hens and Patriots trade opponents on Sunday, with Delaware taking on the Terriers at noon prior to George Mason squaring off with the Wolfpack at 2:30 p.m.

The Patriots hosted an annual tournament in the early days of the program, but an on-campus event had not been held in many years until the George Mason Invitational occurred last year. That tournament featured three teams that had participated in the 2001 Women's College Cup - fellow CAA member William & Mary, Southern Conference perennial power UNC Greensboro and Big Ten rising star Illinois. Each team ended up winning one game, with George Mason splitting its contests with a 5-1 victory over UNCG and a 1-0 loss to Illinois.

George Mason is unbeaten in its first four games for the first time since 1993, when it won its first seven contests en route to a berth in the NCAA Tournament championship game. The Patriots were 10-11 overall and 7-2 in the conference as they reached the CAA Tournament finals a year ago. They have been one of the top teams in the CAA over the past decade and shared the inaugural conference title with William & Mary in 1993. The Patriots are one of six teams to win a NCAA Division I national championship, becoming the first team other than North Carolina to claim the title when they defeated the Tar Heels at George Mason Stadium in 1985. Mason has made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances over its 21-year history, four of which have come with 12th-year head coach and Patriot alumnus Jac Cicala at the helm.

Delaware has had a solid program since its inception in 1990 and has played every season under the leadership of UD alumnus and 14th-year head coach Scott Grzenda. The Fightin' Blue Hens were 9-9-1 overall last season and 4-4-1 in their first year as a member of the CAA as they continue to pursue their first NCAA Tournament berth.

North Carolina State is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament as the Wolfpack is tied with George Mason and California for 10th on the all-time list with 11 postseason appearances. Under the guidance of alumna and fifth-year head coach Laura Kerrigan, North Carolina State was 10-8-1 overall and 5-4-1 in the ACC last season.

Boston University stumbled last season to a 7-10-2 overall record and a 4-3-1 mark in the America East after winning the previous two conference titles. Head coach Nancy Feldman, in her ninth year with the Terriers and her 15th overall as a head coach, guided BU to NCAA Tournament berths in 2000 and 2001 and looks to make a third trip in four years this season.