[NORTH CAROLINA-UCLA] In one of the best Men’s College Cup matches ever played, No. 1 seed North Carolina twice came from behind to tie No. 13 seed UCLA, 2-2,and go on to win their semifinal, 3-1, in a shootout before 9,623 fans in Hoover, Ala. The Bruins got golazos from Ryan Hollingshead and
(Click
The game almost didn’t go to a shootout. As the clock expired in the second overtime,Kirk Urso, playing in his fourth College Cup, fired a bouncing shot that UCLA keeper Brian Rowe miraculously managed totip wide.
Rowe has no such luck in the shootout as Urso and senior defender Drew McKinney put UNC ahead 2-0 and Ben Speas, who won the College Cup with Akron in 2010, fired a curling shot that gave Rowe no chance.
UNC keeper Scott Goodwinstopped UCLA captain Andy Rose and Kelyn Rowe and Fernando Monge pushed hisattempt wide left at 2-1 to set the stage for Speas’ winner.
Coming into the game with eighth straight shutouts, UCLA had the better of the play in the early going and took the lead inthe 17th minute when Hollingshead gathered a pass from Chandler Hoffman and found open space at the top of the box to fire a blistering shot that dipped underthe crossbar.
UNC had its chances as Brian Rowe was called upon to parry Schuler’s shot off the crossbar in the 37th minute and Speas hit the far post just before the half.
Speas went to work in the second half, racing down the left wing and fired in a cross that Lovejoy put away to even the score in the 56th minute.
The Bruins pulled ahead again in the 74thminute when Kelyn Rowe, the former U.S. under-20 starter being used off the bench, finished off a give-and-go with Chandler Hoffman with a delicate chip overGoodwin.
With five minutes left in regulation, though, Martinez fired a blistering shot from 35 yards out that ricocheted off the far post across the face of the goal, where the chargingSchuler slid the ball into the goal for his 16th goal of the season.
North Carolina, which finished with a 22-16 edge in shots, will be playing in its third final.
It won thechampionship in 2001 when it beat Maryland, 2-0. It fell to the Terrapins, 1-0, in the 2008 final.
UNC had lost in the semifinals the last two seasons. Speas was on the Akron team thatbeat UNC in a shootout in 2009, and Louisville defeated the Heels, 2-1, on a goal in the last minute of regulation in last year’s semifinals.
Dec. 9 Hoover,Ala.
North Carolina 2 UCLA 2 (North Carolina wins 3-1 on penalties.) Goals: Lovejoy 7 (Speas) 56, Schuler 16 (Martinez) 85; Hollingshead 3(Hoffman) 17. K.Rowe 6 (Hoffman) 74
North Carolina — Goodwin, McKinney, Hedges, Okwuonu, J.McCrary, Urso, Martinez, Schuler, Lopez, Speas, Lovejoy. Subs:Murphy, Gafa.
UCLA — B.Rowe, Singh, Sofia, Matchett, Williams, Wiet, Rose, Monge, Hollingshead, Hoffman, Arreola. Subs: Chavez, K.Rowe, Munoz, Raynr.
Referee: Alex Prus.
Att.: 9,263.
Truly one of the best college men’s games I’ve seen, with action, shots, saves, drama. My only complaint is the same as I’ve always had, that the game is too rushed, disallowing a more elegant style. The substitution rule and the extra breaks at this level during each half do maintain that activity level over the 90 minutes. I know all the reasons why these are continued, so I don’t need a rebuttal, but I think the game would develop a more interesting look to the fans if it wasn’t quite so frantic. Skill gets sacrificed for action, a tradeoff whichis not good for the long term range of soccer development…at least from my perspective.