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College Soccer Preview: Road to Birmingham begins

Runners-up Louisville bring guns back, but UCLA, Akron will push

School is back in session.

The abbreviated college soccer preseason is nearly over, and this coming weekend, the start of a long road that begins, one that will end with the College Cup in Birmingham, Ala., in December.

Many of last season’s heroes are now enduring the long season of MLS, and another talented group of players will look to step up and fill in the gaps to players lost to graduation.

Each program deals with a varying amount of departing talent, and how each copes with it will determine success over the next few months. Here’s a look at some of the teams to look out for this year:

MLSsoccer.com's Preseason Top 20

1. UCLA
2. Akron
3. Louisville
4. North Carolina
5. SMU
6. Notre Dame
7. Creighton
8. Connecticut
9. Maryland
10. UC Santa Barbara
11. Michigan
12. Virginia
13. Indiana
14. Princeton
15. Duke
16. Boston College
17. Penn State
18. California
19. Brown
20. William & Mary

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College Soccer Preview: Ex-MLSers turned head coaches

League originals like Salcedo, Yeagley keeping programs strong

MLS and college soccer have been intertwined since the league’s inception in 1996. Thousands of players have navigated the path successfully from college to MLS, with many going on to enjoy lengthy careers and win numerous trophies as professional.

A handful of those collegiate stars, after stints of varying length and impact in MLS, have jumped into the coaching ranks via one route or another. With the college season starting this weekend, here’s a look at some former MLS players currently in charge of college programs across the country

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2 ... ad-coaches

College Soccer Preview: Eight seniors to watch in 2011

Lousville star Rolfe highlights the list as opening day looms

opening of the men’s college soccer season on Friday gives fans the first chance to get a glimpse of some of the players who could be suiting up in MLS next year.

Here’s a look at eight seniors who will be in the mix during next January’s SuperDraft:

Ethan Finlay (F), Creighton

One of the top seniors in this year’s class, a minor injury has limited Finlay during the preseason. An out-and-out goalscorer with good pace, with another strong season the Wisconsin native is going to be a hot commodity in January.

Austin Berry (D), Louisville

A commanding physical presence on the back line, Berry is a central defender who looks like he could be very capable in MLS. Has the size and athleticism to provide a danger on set pieces as well.

Tony Cascio (M/F), Connecticut

Fresh off a strong season a year ago (10 goals and six assists), Cascio will look to lead the Huskies to postseason success in the final year. A product of Real Salt Lake’s Arizona Academy, Cascio is eligible to be a Home Grown signing.

Luke Holmes (M), Akron

A transfer from NAIA program Notre Dame College, Holmes will get an abbreviated year to showcase his skills under Caleb Porter in Akron. The native of Oldham, England, is a creative attacking midfielder who scored goals in bunches at the lower level of college.

Colin Rolfe (F), Louisville

The prolific striker (pictured above) took a step forward his junior season, refining his game to become a more all-around player. With good size and decent speed, a strong senior season could push him into SuperDraft first-round consideration next year.

Matt Hedges (D), North Carolina

Hedges enjoyed a breakout season last fall at Butler, and took advantage of thinning ranks to make the step up to UNC for the fall season. He has good size (6-foot-4, 185 pounds) and the tools to make an impact in MLS next year.

Eder Arreola (M/F), UCLA

The versatile attacker played his way onto the US Under-20 qualifying team earlier this year. He scored four goals and had seven assists last year, and had a trial this summer with clubs in Mexico — a possible destination after his senior year.

Brian Ownby (F), Virginia

A former US Under-20 international who scored at the U-20 World Cup in 2009, Ownby has battled through two injury-plagued seasons since. He’ll look to put those problems behind him and showcase his goal scoring and speed this fall.

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NCAA Top 20 Rankings: Tourney season under way
L'ville's rebound continues; UNM finish undefeated regular season


It’s college soccer’s most wonderful time of the year – tournament season. And in the Big East, it’s already well under way

Rank School Record Last Week

1 New Mexico 16-0-2 1 1
2 North Carolina 14-2-2 2
3 Creighton 16-2-0 3
4 Connecticut 16-2-2 6
5 Maryland 13-2-3 5
6 South Florida 12-3-3 4
7 UCLA 14-4-1 8
8 Akron 13-3-3 7
9 Indiana 11-3-4 11
10 Louisville 12-5-2 16
11 Charlotte 13-3-2 14
12 Furman 14-2-4 13
13 UC Santa Barbara 13-5-1 15
14 Boston College 12-5-0 9
15 UC Irvine 14-5-1 NR
16 James Madison 12-4-1 12
17 Coastal Carolina 16-2-0 20
18 SMU 10-6-1 NR
19 Old Dominion 11-4-119
20 Duke 10-6-2 NR

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The Lady Griz soccer team plays the top overall seed Stanford on Friday night in Palo Alto.

griz37 wrote:The Lady Griz soccer team plays the top overall seed Stanford on Friday night in Palo Alto.

That's got massacre written all over it.

Big East Championship: Semifinals Set

Louisville, Connecticut, Villanova and St. John's will play Friday at Red Bull Arena

The semifinal field has been set for the 2011 BIG EAST men’s soccer championship, which will be held at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. for the second-straight year. In a matchup at 5 p.m. on Nov. 11, Louisville will play Connecticut. In the second match of the day, Villanova will face off against St. John’s. The final is scheduled for Nov. 13 at noon. All three games will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

The winner of the BIG EAST Championship receives the league’s automatic bid to the 48-team NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship. The 2011 NCAA Championship marks the 53rd anniversary of the tournament. First, second and third round games, as well as the quarterfinals, are held on the campuses of participating institutions in a single-elimination format. This year’s College Cup - national semifinals and championship games - will be hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Alabama Sports Foundation. It will be held at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala., on December 9 and 11.

Last season, the BIG EAST had seven teams earned spots in the NCAA Championship, with Louisville advancing to the national final. The BIG EAST has two national titles, St. John’s in 1996 and UConn in 2000.

http://www.newyorkredbulls.com/news/201 ... finals-set" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In the women's championships I'am pulling for a upset when Arkansas Pine-Bluff meets up with Oklahoma St

The StonyBrook University Mens team won the America East Title tonight. The Seawolves defeated 5th seed Hartford University Hawks 4-2 . Now we wait and see who we play and where.

Field of 48 set as NCAA Tourney prepares to kick off
Akron sights on repeat; UNC take top seed; Action starts Thursday


All first round games will be played on November 17. The second and third-round matches will take place on November 20 and November 27. The eight teams remaining in the quarterfinals will go head to head between December 2 and 4. The 2011 College Cup will take place at Regions Field – the home of UAB – in Hoover, Ala., with the semifinals contested on December 9 and the final taking place two days later on December 11.

The first round is highlighted by a matchup between Akron and Big Ten champs Northwestern, who head to Ohio in hopes of ending the defending-champion Zips’ title defense early. South Carolina will welcome historic power Wake Forest to Columbia, S.C., in another high-profile match.

Other notable games include Virginia, which is two-years removed from a national title, hosting Delaware, first-time participants CSU Bakersfield and 18-goal scorer Gyasi Zardes welcoming St. Mary’s, and an in-state battle pitting Florida Gulf Coast against Central Florida.

The semifinal and final matches will be broadcast live on ESPNU. All times listed below are local. Matches are hosted by the top seed until the semifinal and final.

Region 1

Elon at Coastal Carolina, Thursday 11/17, 7:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (1) UNC

Liberty at Old Dominion, Thursday 11/17, 7:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (16) Indiana

Fairfield at Brown, Thursday 11/17, 7:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (9) St. Johns

St. Mary’s (CA) at CSU Bakersfield, Thursday 11/17, 7:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (8) UC Irvine

Region 2

Xavier at West Virginia, Thursday 11/17, 5:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (5) Maryland

Loyola Chicago at Bradley, Thursday 11/17, 7:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (12) Louisville

Delaware at Virginia, Thursday 11/17, 7:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (13) UCLA

Colgate at Rutgers, Thursday 11/17, 7:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (4) Boston College

Region 3

Stony Brook at Monmouth, Thursday 11/17, 7:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (3) Connecticut

Wake Forest at South Carolina, Thursday 11/17, 7:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (14) James Madison

Furman at Charlotte, Thursday 11/17, 7:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (11) UAB

Northwestern at Akron, Thursday 11/17, 7:30 p.m.
• Winner plays at (6) SMU

Region 4

Florida Gulf Coast at UCF, Thursday 11/17, 7:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (7) South Florida

Georgia State at Duke, Thursday 11/17, 7:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (10) New Mexico

Dartmouth at Providence, Thursday 11/17, 2:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (15) UC Santa Barbara

Western Illinois at Northern Illinois, Thursday 11/17, 1:00 p.m.
• Winner plays at (2) Creighton

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2 ... pares-kick

StonyBrook took Monmouth into double OT Thursday night still tied at 0-0. We lost on penalty kicks 5-4 and of course
the game 1-0. Great game but we will back in 2012.

Third round set after wild weekend

Some teams such as Maryland breezed into the third round, while others squeaked by. Nevertheless, 16 teams remain as the tension will only heat up as the NCAA tournament continues.

Region 1
(1) UNC vs (16) Indiana, 11/27 @1:00pm
Brown vs. St. Mary’s (CA), 11/27 @1:00pm

Region 2
(5) Maryland vs. (12) Louisville 11/27 @5:00pm
(13) UCLA vs. Rutgers, Thursday 11/27, @8:00 p.m.


Region 3
(3) Connecticut vs. (14) James Madison 11/27 @1:00pm
Charlotte vs. Akron, Thursday 11/27, 7:00 p.m.

Region 4
UCF vs. (10) New Mexico 11/27 @6:00pm
(15) UC Santa Barbara vs. (2) Creighton, 11/27 @2:00pm

http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/soccer-men/d1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And then there were eight

The quarterfinals are set after a wild third round full of overtime thrillers and heartbreaking upsets. The field which includes, Charlotte, will be narrowed to four after what should be another exciting round.

Region 1
(1) UNC vs St. Mary’s (CA), 12/3 @5:00pm

Region 2
(12) Louisville vs. (13) UCLA 12/3, @7:00 p.m.

Region 3
(3) Connecticut vs. Charlotte 12/4 @1:00 p.m.

Region 4
UCF vs. (2) Creighton, 12/3 @2:00pm

http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/soccer-men/d1

NCAA: North Carolina, UCLA advance to College Cup

UNC power past St. Mary's 2-0; UCLA get revenge at Louisville

UNC 2, St. Mary's 0

Senior Matt Hedges finally cracked a tough St. Mary’s defense in the 52nd minute. The big defender rose to head home a corner kick, cueing the Tar Heels victory following a first half of frustration for the ACC powerhouse.

Louisville 0, UCLA 1

The Bruins progressed to the semifinals thanks to a 1-0 overtime win over Louisville. Reed Williams scored in the 102nd minute, just 1:31 into the second overtime period, to put an end to the Cardinals’ season.


http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2 ... ollege-cup

NCAA: Creighton, Charlotte round out College Cup field

49ers down Huskies in PKs; Finlay's goal sees Bluejays through

UConn 1, UNC Charlotte 1 (Charlotte wins 4-2 on PKs)

Once again it was the agony of penalty kicks sending the Connecticut Huskies packing from the NCAA tournament. The Huskies missed twice from the spot, as the No. 3 seed - heavy favorites to advance to the College Cup for the first time since 2000 - were upset on their home field.

Creighton 1, South Florida 0

Senior forward Ethan Finlay’s 97th minute strike in the first overtime period broke a scoreless stalemate and clinched Creighton’s spot in the College Cup with a 1-0 win over South Florida.

The game, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, was bumped to Sunday thanks to a heavy snowfall in Omaha. With the cleared field, the Bulls looked to find a way to crack Creighton, who boast the nation’s best defense.

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How 'bout those NINERS!!!!

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/1 ... elite.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/prishe/2011 ... athletics/

Rooting for UCLA since they ousted the Hens.

EPJr wrote:MLSsoccer.com's Preseason Top 20

1. UCLA
4. North Carolina
7. Creighton

Not bad pre-season predicting.

89Hen wrote:

EPJr wrote:MLSsoccer.com's Preseason Top 20

1. UCLA
4. North Carolina
7. Creighton

Not bad pre-season predicting.

Them B****es didn't predict this!!!!



GO NINERS!!!!

Congrats to the Niners! Quite an accomplishment and one that was completely unexpected...a fantastic story.

Hoover, AL - 4pm

NCAA Men's Soccer National Championship Game

Charlotte 49ers vs Chapel Hill Tarheels

I'd have it no other way.

Magical Moment
Speas' dipping strike the difference as Tar Heels outlast Charlotte


Turns out the fourth time is the charm for North Carolina.

In their fourth straight College Cup appearance, the Tar Heels finally won the national title thanks to a 65th-minute wonder goal off the foot of Ben Speas, holding off a late flurry from UNC Charlotte to win 1-0.

Speas’ tally came in the face of tremendous Charlotte pressure in the second half. Racing in from the right wing, he danced past several 49ers defenders and unleashed a shot that looped over ‘keeper Klay Davis, tucking just under the crossbar.

The Tar Heels managed to hold on to that lead, weathering a ferocious push by the 49ers in the game’s final five minutes to hang on and raise their first national championship trophy since 2001.

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