By JOHN BOSCHINI

One of college soccer's premier conferences gets set to crown a champion as the Big East Tournament kicks off tonight.

First-round action will consist of the bottom eight seeds facing each other with the higher seed receiving home field advantage. The subsequent winners will take on the top four seeds this weekend with those winners traveling to Red Bull Arena for the semifinals and final.

Several teams are eyeing a postseason berth but a few bubble teams like South Florida, West Virginia and Villanova will have to advance to feel safe. Louisville, who dethroned Akron at No. 1 this week, will look to take their top seed into the NCAA tournament with a Big East title.

Despite being No. 6 in the country, Connecticut was unable to secure a first-round bye due to its mixed conference results.

Team Breakdowns

Louisville: Undefeated overall and perfect in conference play, the No. 1 Cardinals have to be considered strong favorites to take home their first Big East Tournament title in school history. Louisville hasn't made it easy on themselves, winning six of their nine conference games by one goal. Louisville's defense is tied for fouth with a 0.89 goals against average but leads the Big East offensively, scoring 20 goals in conference play.

Georgetown: The Hoyas secured the top seed in the Big East's Blue Division thanks to a 7-2-0 record in conference play despite receiving little national attention during the season. The Hoyas are led by freshman standout Steve Neumann who has racked up 10 goals and seven assists. Georgetown turned around a woeful 0-4-1 start to rattle off a nine-game winning streak before losing to Notre Dame on the last day of the season. Georgetown may be a lock for the NCAA tournament but a deep run could set the Hoyas up for a first-round bye.

Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish struggled to find their identity throughout most of the season and could never find much consistency. Notre Dame is led by highly-touted midfielder Dillon Powers and senior striker Steven Perry, who has 12 goals so far this season. Since losing to Louisville on Oct. 19, the Irish went 3-0-1 in their final four Big East matchups and broke into the top 25 for the first time this season.

Cincinnati: For all the problems Cincinnati outside of the Big East this season, the Bearcats have been solid in conference play with a 5-1-3 record and a first-round bye. Cincinnati broke its streak of three-consecutive ties with a 4-0 demolition of Syracuse. Because of their 2-3-3 non-conference record, the Bearcats will likely need a trip to Red Bull Arena to play in the postseason.

Connecticut: The Huskies rose to No. 2 in the top 25 on the back of their stellar non-conference play but an inability to put away conference opponents has cost UConn a first-round bye. That being said, the sixth-ranked Huskies are still legitimate contenders for the Big East crown. Connecticut owns the best defensive conference record, holding its opponents to  .25 goals against average while Tony Cascio and Carlos Alvarez have provided the offense. In spit of their poor starting position, anything less than a title for the seven-time winners.

St. John's: The Red Storm has been inconsistent this season to say the least. A 5-1-0 start was followed up by a a rough patch where St. John's lost four of five. But St. John's is unbeaten since Oct. 9 and are riding a six-game shutout streak. If they can survive this week, the Storm should get a boost from playing just a few miles away from its home in Queens, NY and will look to repeat.

West Virginia: There aren't many professional prospects applying their trade in West Virginia but the Mountaineers have quietly become a solid, mid-table Big East side with postseason aspirations. Four players have at least four goals while Zach Johnson has supplied five shutouts. Home-field advantage should prove vital in the Mountaineers opening match against USF, West Virginia has an impressive 8-1-0 record at Dick Dlesk Stadium.

Villanova: The Wildcats are still a game over .500 but have fallen well out of contention in recent weeks with a string of poor results. Good news for Villanova is that the Wildcats open their Big East conference tournament at home against CCC. The bad news? The Wildcats welcome Providence, who have a winning record on the road.

South Florida: Their six-game shutout streak a thing of the past, The Bulls will need at least one win this week to move off of the bubble and safely into the NCAA Tournament field. Top goalkeeping prospect Jeff Attinella should anchor USF's defense but the Bulls must turn around an offense that is averaging less than a goal a game in the past month.

Providence: The Friars are as on the bubble as any team in college soccer right now. A 9-5-2 record is better than some of the other teams in the Big East but a weak non-conference schedule could cost Providence come selection time if they fail to advance. The Friars are devoid of striking talent, with Matt Marcin their leading scorer with only five goals, so defense will be imperative.

DePaul: A 4-9-5 record makes the Blue Demons by far the lowest-ranked team in the Big East tournament. Any sort of run would be nothing short of miraculous for DePaul and an automatic bid is the only route to postseason play.

Marquette: A game below .500, The Golden Eagles are unlikely to be much of a threat. Prior to a 3-2 overtime victory over lowly Seton Hall in its regular-season finale, Marquette lost three-straight games by a combined 10-2.

Top five players to watch

Jeff Attinella, goalkeeper, South Florida: The senior goalkeeper has played every minute for the Bulls this season while posting a .827 save percentage. Attinella hasn't kept a clean sheet in four games but rattled off a six-game shutout streak earlier this season. If he can regain that form opposing offenses could be in trouble.

Dylan Mares, midfielder, Louisville: Mares leads the Big East's top scoring offense with eight goals coming out of the midfield. Not only is the freshman scoring, but he's scoring in big spots, netting three game winners. For a Cardinals side used to squeaking out close results, Mares will be key.

Steve Neumann, forward, Georgetown: Despite his age, Steve Neumann might be the most potent offensive weapon in the Big East. Neumann has scored 10 goals and dished out seven assists coming off the bench in his rookie season for the Hoyas.

Greg King, defender, UCONN: The former Australian U20 team member has been an anchor for the Big East's most dominating defense. Playing almost every minute this season, the senior has led the Huskies to a 0.25 goals against average in conference play.

Dillon Powers, midfielder, Notre Dame: The USMNT U20 standout has been an orchestrator in the Irish midfielder this season. Powers is a likely top-five pick in the MLS draft should he choose to make the jump to the pros.

FIRST-ROUND MATCH TO WATCH

South Florida at West Virginia: South Florida will look to secure their NCAA future against a West Virginia side that has been virtually unbeatable at home this season. The 838-mile journey will make it difficult for South Florida but the Mountaineers are going to have to find some offense in order to break down the Bulls' back line.

Prediction

Louisville: The Cardinals are riding an incredible wave of form at the moment and Louisville has shown its ability to win close games.

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND

Today

Providence at Villanova, 2
South Florida at West Virginia, 7
Marquette at St. John's, 7:30

Thursday

DePaul at Connecticut, 7:30

SECOND ROUND

Saturday

Providence/Villanova at Georgetown, 1
USF/West Virginia at Louisville, 7
Marquette/St. John's at Notre Dame, 6

Sunday

DePaul/UConn at Cincinnatti, TBA