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NCAA Soccer

UCLA and Virginia Will Square Off for College Cup

An early goal against a stingy defense lifted Virginia over Maryland-Baltimore County and UCLA won another overtime thriller to set up a College Cup final featuring two elite soccer programs.
BY By Brooke Tunstall Posted
December 14, 2014
9:10 AM
CARY, N.C.—Virginia scored early. UCLA scored often. As a result, two of college soccer’s titans will be playing for the national championship on Sunday.

In a pair of matches that on another night could have gone to the other team, Virginia got an early goal from junior Darius Madison to beat upstart UMBC 1-0 while UCLA rallied from a late deficit to defeat a powerful Providence side 3-2 in double overtime in the College Cup semifinals before an announced crowd of 9,502 at WakeMed Park.

"I think we got our tactics right tonight and executed the game plan and put ourselves in a good situation to compete for a national championship, Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said.

The wins set up the most pedigreed final in college soccer history (noon ET, ESPNU). UCLA has won four national titles while Virginia has six, and this is the first championship game to feature a pair of schools where each participant has won at least three championships.

“It’s going to be a great final between two very good teams with a lot of history,” said UCLA coach Jorge Salcedo, whose team has won three overtime games this postseason. “But that history isn’t going to mean much Sunday. It will be who executes, who comes up big, who makes the fewest mistakes.”

UMBC, the unseeded program from the lightly regarded America East Conference, came into Friday’s game having not allowed a goal in four NCAA Tournament upsets of college soccer powers Wake Forest, Maryland, Louisville, and Creighton.

“We knew we’d have to take advantage of our chances when we got them,” said Madison.

In the fifth minute, redshirt freshman Pablo Aguilar, who was only starting because of an injury to All-American midfielder Eric Bird, stripped UMBC’s Marquez Fernandez about 30 yards from goal, turned, and spotted Madison making a run to the right side of the 18. Madison took one touch that appeared to take him too wide for a shot on goal then sent a diagonal shot that took a slight deflection before beating UMBC goalkeeper Billy Heavner at the far post. It would turn out to be the Cavaliers only shot on goal of the game.

"It was a pass back to the center back, and I knew I was close enough to take it away from him," said Aguilar. "He had a bad touch. I took it from him. I saw Darius wide open. I gave it to him, and Darius did great in finishing."

Goals have not come easily for No. 16 seed Virginia (13-6-3) this season. The team entered the game with just 26 in 21 games, making them the lowest scoring UVa team since Gelnovatch replaced Bruce Arena in 1996. So an early strike against a team that hadn’t been scored on in over a month was both a huge relief and a confidence booth.

"I think it changed the outlook tremendously,” said Madison. "It did wonders for us."

Madison is a big reason the Cavaliers have struggled to score this season. He was an All-ACC performer in 2013 and came into this season hoping for a strong enough year to earn a homegrown contract offer from the Philadelphia Union. But early in preseason he sprained his ankle and that cost him the first chunk of the season. Even when he began to play he hasn’t been at his best which is a big reason Friday’s goal was just his fourth of the season.

"It was a big load off my shoulders," Madison said. "This season's actually been pretty rough for me. Coming in I was really focused and really excited for the season, and spraining my ankle in the first preseason game, it was a shocker, and it hurt. But George is always telling me, just keep focusing and just keep working hard, and it'll happen. It took a while, but it eventually happened."

After finally conceding a goal UMBC (14-5-5) appeared stunned and the Cavaliers squandered a pair of good chances to double the lead when no one got on the end of a pair of nice crosses from overlapping right back Kyler Sullivan.

But the Retrievers didn’t get this far without some resolve and they recovered and began pressing forward consistently earning several corner kicks that were near-misses by All America defender Oumar Ballo.

"We have scored a lot this year on corner kicks," said UMBC coach Pete Caringi, whose team outshot Virginia 5-3 and had nine corner kicks to the Cavaliers two. "We almost got a couple during the first half, and we had worked on it during the week. We really thought that if we got a corner kick or a set piece we would score a goal. We were sending everyone forward, but the bounce of the ball just wasn't there."

UMBC’s best chance came in the 75th minute when Michael Scott got behind the UVa backline but goalkeeper Calle Brown was quick off his line to smother the chance.


SCORING OPPORTUNITIES were in abundant supply in the second match of the day. In the 43rd minute freshman Abu Danladi, who has been No. 2 UCLA’s best player in the postseason, got loose on the right flank and found reserve Larry Ndjock, whose first shot was blocked by Providence goalkeeper Keasel Broome. The rebound, however, fell right to Ndjock and he calmly finished the second chance.

But the No. 11 Friars (16-5-2) feature a nice combination of size and skill and the squad put that all on display in the second half. In the 65th minute senior left back Larry Ballenthin whipped in a perfect cross for six-foot-three sophomore forward Mac Steeves, who gave the Bruins’ undersized backline fits all day. Steeves easily out-jumped All-American Michael Amick and his header went through the hands of Bruins goalkeeper Earl Edwards.

Nine minutes later Ballenthin and Steeves teamed up again when Steeves volleyed in a cross that a desperate lunge from Amick couldn’t keep from making the score 2-1.

“Obviously he was a handful,” UCLA defender Chase Gasper said of Steeves. “He was dangerous every time the ball came to him. Dangerous on crosses, the goals were extremely well taken. The kid had a fantastic game. We did as much as we could to negate service to him but good players find a way.”

With the momentum clearly belonging to the Friars, UCLA could have folded. But instead it showed the same resolve that allowed it to rally in two previous NCAA Tournament wins this year. In the 81st minute Danladi again got free on the right side of the box and his cross was blocked by Friars defender Brandon Adler but fell to a wide open Ndjock, who easily headed in from six yards.

In the second overtime UCLA (14-4-5) continued to get the bounces. A cleared corner fell to Gaspar at the top of the 18 and he teed off with a one-timer that appeared to be going wide before it took a deflection and bounced past Broome to end the game.

"I just swung away and I got a lucky deflection," said Gasper, who is from Alexandria, Va. and originally committed to UVa. "Good things happen when you put the ball on target, and that's what happened."

All the deflected shots and crosses left Providence feeling frustrated and hard-done.

“All three goals could have been avoided,” said Friars defender Phil Towler. “There have been times in the season when it has gone our way; tonight it obviously didn’t three times. The first goal could easily have gone out for a corner. The second goal Adler made the tackle and it could have gone away from the goal. And the third goal was just very unlucky.”

“I thought we deserved more,” Friars coach Craig Stewart said afterward. “I thought on the day we were the better team. I thought we were excellent… We just didn’t get a few breaks our way. That’s football.”

Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. You can follow him on Twitter.

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