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Soccer's big four met in an early-season tournament, but for UConn, Notre Dame, Santa Clara and North Carolina, staying on top of the sport they helped build is anything but easy.

After two rounds of playoff women's soccer, we've got some questions. Like, which No. 1 seed has the toughest third-round matchup? Who is the MVP so far? And which team could turn its side of the bracket into upset city?

From biggest snub to who will win it all to why the heck Portland got the short end of the stick, here are the answers to 5 Burning Questions on the 2009 NCAA women's soccer tournament bracket.

Two years of back-to-back injuries -- the same injury -- would leave most players jaded. But Jordan Angeli returns to Santa Clara soccer after two ACL tears carrying optimism for herself and the Broncos.

Led by skillful players like Kiki Bosio, Santa Clara continues to remain in the upper echelon of women's soccer programs, despite its smaller size and budget, writes Graham Hays.

JJ Hones hit five of her team's season-best 13 3-pointers on the way to a career-high 20 points and No. 6 Stanford won its eighth straight game with a 96-74 victory over Santa Clara on Tuesday night.

Schools in the West Coast Conference have earned a reputation for tough schedules. They've earned it, writes Graham Hays.

All-American Megan Kakadelas sits in the hot seat with Jen Chang to answer 10 Burning Questions.

Danielle Slaton Bio