[NORTH CAROLINA-INDIANA] Eriq Zavaleta‘s 18th goal of the season ended Indiana’s eight-year College Cup drought. A 1-0win at defending champion North Carolina sends the Hoosiers to Friday’s semifinals against the UConn-Creighton winner in Hoover, Ala. The loss snapped the Tar Heels’ 40-match unbeaten streak at FetzerField.
“This group, I couldn’t be more happy for them,” said IU coach Todd Yeagley. “I am proud of our players andhow they have stayed the course. There is a lot of expectation with this program and these players are playing the best when the pressure is greatest.
On Zavaleta’s goal, his headerwas initially saved by UNC goalkeeper Scott Goodwin, but the ball came right back out to the IU sophomore, who headed it home on an open net to give IU the 1-0lead.
“We knew that one goal could win this game,” Zavaleta said. “[Patrick] Doody played a great ball in and I got myselfin a good spot. [Goodwin] made a good save, but I was right there.”
Senior goalkeeper Luis Soffner held off a late UNC assault andearned his 10th shutout of the season in the win.
The loss meant that Carolina won’t be going to the College Cup for the first time since the 2007 season.
North Carolina 0 Indiana 1. Goal: Zavaleta 60.
NorthCarolina — Goodwin, Campbell, Okwuonu, McCrary, Gafa, Olofson, Garcia, George, Lopez, Lovejoy, Craven. Subs: Rice, Murphy, Brown.
Indiana —Soffner, McKain, Konstanski, Doody, Bradford, Petts, Kotlov, Corrado, Bushue, Lax, Zavaleta. Subs: Hollinger-Janzen, Wylie, Ballard.
Att.:4,352.
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