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© St. Petersburg Times, published November 15, 2001
WHEN/WHERE: Today, Friday and Sunday; USF Soccer Stadium, Tampa.
TOURNAMENT FAVORITE: Saint Louis. The top-seeded Billikens, a perennial national power, are ranked No. 3 in the nation by Soccer America. Their lone loss was 1-0 at UAB, the No. 2 seed. Senior striker Dipsy Selolwane leads the nation in goals with 20, including eight game-winners, and teammates Brad Davis (8 goals, 10 assists) and Jack Jewsbury also are All-America candidates.
TEAMS TO WATCH: Saint Louis (14-1) is the class of the event, but UAB and South Florida also expect to represent the conference in the NCAA Tournament. The Blazers are the only team to defeat the Billikens.
WHAT USF HAS TO DO: Assuming the Bulls get past Marquette (they beat the Golden Eagles 1-0 on Nov. 7), they will be fatigued for Friday's game against UAB. USF's best plan for the Blazers might be to pack it in on defense, frustrate UAB for a while, and play for the late counterattack.
SCHEDULE: Today -- No. 4 seed UNC-Charlotte (5-4-1 C-USA) vs. No. 5 Cincinnati (5-4-1), 5:30; No. 3 USF (7-3) vs. No. 6 Marquette (5-5), 8. Friday -- Charlotte-Cincinnati winner vs. Saint Louis (9-1), 5:30; USF-Marquette winner vs. UAB (7-3), 8. Sunday -- championship, 1.
TICKETS: Tournament passes are $15 for adults and $7 for children and seniors. Individual game tickets are $6 and $3.