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College Soccer Professor: Third Round Preview- Let's Dance
The Prof. gives some insight into the third round.
Nov 24, 2009 4:23:11 PM
By J.R. Eskilson
And then there were sixteen. It may not be sweet for all the sides heading into the third round games this Sunday, but they are all glad their seasons are still alive. This past weekend we saw #4 seed Ohio State lose to Drake in overtime. Quote from this column last week: “Is anyone really buying into the idea that Ohio State is the fourth best team in the nation? Outside of their conference schedule, they have one win over a tournament team (Butler)...This group only needs to be described by two words: Upset Central.” Do not worry, my resume has already been sent to the NCAA committee.
This week, we are going to delve into every matchup and highlight some difference makers. All third round games will be played Sunday, Nov. 29th. Plan on arriving early to games, there will be plenty of traffic this holiday weekend.
Akron vs Stanford (4:00 P.M. ET)
Something to consider heading into this match-up: Akron has not played a West Coast school this season. There is a huge difference between physicality and speed of play between coastal schools. This could turn into more of a dog fight than anyone anticipates.
Akron: Zips held South Florida to one shot on goal in their second round win. They are so dominate in the midfield against their opponents that it is extremely difficult to generate chances. As I wrote earlier this season, it is impossible to score if you never get the ball. The only team standing in Akron’s way from lifting the title is Akron. As long as the breaks keep going their way, there is no stopping this team.
Anthony Ampaipitakwong: The star of the show in their first game with both goals. If Stanford gives up a free kick close to their box, expect to see Ampaipitakwong hitting it home. He is another weapon in the vast arsenal of Caleb Porter’s side.
Stanford: Cardinal shredded through a questionable St. Mary’s defense in the first round and then won on the road against UC Irvine in the second round. So far, they have not let in a goal in the post-season. Their reward, facing off against the most potent offense in the country in the third round. The only piece of advice at this point is to defend in numbers and pray for lucky bounces.
Bobby Warshaw: He has not registered a point in the post-season so far but he runs this team. There is going to be a lot asked of Warshaw defensively against Akron, but if he wants to get national recognition this is a ‘put up or shut up’ game.
Northwestern vs Tulsa (3:00 P.M. ET)
These teams met earlier this season. Northwestern prevailed 3-2 in overtime. Northwestern striker, Matt Eliason, told goal.com that the win over Tulsa was the turning point in the season for his side. Tulsa wants to send Northwestern’s season back the other way this time.
Northwestern: For all intents and purposes, they were dominated by Notre Dame in the second round. Notre Dame crushed them in shots and possession, but Northwestern made the most of their chances and moved on. They cannot afford to give Tulsa too many opportunities, but if they continue to put away their shots as effectively as they did in the second round, they will be hard to beat.
Matt Eliason: The Junior striker picked up an assist in the second round game, but he still has not registered a goal in the tourney in his three trips there. Tulsa’s 4-3 win over St. Louis showed their defense is suspect. Time for Eliason to pounce and produce another game winner like he did against Tulsa in the first meeting.
Tulsa: Anytime a team gives up a goal in the final five seconds of a game to level the score and send the game to overtime, it has to be heartbreaking. To come back in overtime and win the game proves that this team is never out of it. They need to limit the mistakes against Northwestern because they will capitalize on any scraps.
Ashley McInnes: Individual moments of brilliance are what Delirious December (NCAA Tourney) is all about. McInnes picked up a ball twenty-five yards from goal, realized he had space to turn, beat his defender on the dribble, and ripped an unstoppable shot to win the game.
North Carolina vs Indiana (2:00 P.M. ET)
Not entirely sure what to make of either of these teams. Still not convinced UNC is as good as advertised. Not sure if Indiana’s two wins in the tourney are legit or just home-cooking. They hit the road here, so one of these teams will have to show their colors.
North Carolina: When you watch a team long enough, you begin to catch tendencies in their play. It is easy to pick up on the moments where they are clicking on all cylinders. Well, UNC have not reached that plateau in a long time. They need to wake up because their trip to the Final Four is relatively easy if they can reach that level again.
Alex Dixon: This Indiana side is susceptible to speed, and Dixon has plenty of that. He showed his ability to finish against Brown, UNC will need to utilize this weapon and attack at will against this dubious Indiana defense.
Indiana: In a vacuum, wins over Louisville and Butler are extremely impressive. However, both games were at home. The true worth of a team is not shown until they can go on the road and win. Indiana is going to have to put together the best performance of the season to steal this one in Chapel Hill.
Luis Soffner: The freshman keeper will need to make saves early to set the tone and keep the Hoosiers in the game.
Boston College vs Drake (2:00 P.M. ET)
Two Cinderellas, only one glass slipper. Who will get the trip to the next round?
Boston College: The Youngsters from Chestnut Hill just keep chugging along, and surprisingly end up with a home game here. Not fully convinced that this team understands the significance of still being alive this deep in the post-season, but that might be for the best because these kids sure can play.
Justin Luthy: The Freshman keeper has been stellar. Against St. John’s, he was roughed up and flipped over, but he came out on top with some clutch saves in the end to preserve a 1-0 win.
Drake: If Drake can slip by B.C. here, they will officially be deemed the Cinderellas of this post-season. The task at hand is difficult, but not impossible. This is the most skilled team they have faced, so they need to match the difference in ingenuity with heart.
Wake Forest vs Duke (5:00 P.M. ET)
ACC rivals battle again! Not the most thrilling match up to see a repeat of a league game (from three weeks ago); however, the bitter rivalry between these two sides runs deep so this should be a passionate encounter.
Wake Forest: Jay Vidovich’s side always seems to be here during this time in the season. He is a great coach that should get his shot at the next level soon. His teams are well-coached so they know the significance of this game and taking care of business. It will be a solid defensive effort, they will not concede more than a goal, it is up to the offense to take care of the rest.
Corben Bone: He was the ACC Offensive player of the year this season. The Deacs rely on him to generate chances, he will be the lynch-pin of the attack on Sunday.
Duke: Wear your heart on your sleeve, Blue Devils. Wake Forest already embarrassed you once this season. Have some pride and go out there and fight until the final whistle. Leave it all on the field, you have nothing to lose at this point. That is the best pep talk I have. Good talk.
James Belshaw: How many saves will it take to keep Duke in the game? Over/under is at 6.
UCLA vs UCSB (8:00 PM ET)
BATTLE OF THE WEST COAST! Apologies to every other California school, but this is the dream match up. UCLA’s storied history against UCSB’s recent success and rabid support. The schools are separated by 100 miles, but they seem worlds apart. There was a time when UCSB was the little brother in this relationship that was just humbled to be on the field with the Bruins. A lot has changed since then, the Gauchos beat the Bruins in the 2006 NCAA Delirious December final. Now, they recruit against each other, and have both been in the top five rankings this season.
UCLA: They are the more skillful side, there is no debating this fact. The reason why anyone would be hesitant to deem them favorites in this matchup is their heart. This needs no further proof, UCLA has skated by with skillful players and no heart for five years now. This could all change on Sunday, or the UCLA program could need a shake-up.
Midfield: Michael Stephens, Kyle Nakazawa, Amobi Okugo. UCLA will be forced to win the battle in the midfield, but that will not be an easy task. UCSB possesses a talented midfield, and offer some match-up problems. It will be up to this unit to outplay their counter-parts to win.
UCSB: Health is the major question mark for the Gauchos. Michael Tetteh has been battling a knock for about a month now. Luis Silva has not looked 100% since the post-season started. If UCSB can use this week off to get their side healthy, they will be in very good shape. Even though this is listed as an away game for UCSB, expect the majority of the stadium to be in Gaucho colors.
David Walker: One of the few Seniors on this team, he has scored back to back game winners to get UCSB to this point. Facing off against UCLA’s centerbacks, Andy Rose and Sean Alvarado, is no easy task but Walker is an experienced player that knows how to score big time goals.
Harvard vs Maryland (1:00 P.M. ET)
Can the brainiacs stop the ACC dominance? This is going to probably be the closest game of the day. Both teams have a lot on the line and plenty of Seniors that want to play in one more game.
Harvard: The Ivy League has struggled after being gifted with four berths into the tournament, but Harvard might just have what it takes to make the league proud. They easily took care of a scrappy Monmouth side in the second round. It is going to take an equal effort to top a veteran Maryland side.
Andre Akpan: Big time goal last weekend from a big time player. Show us all you can do it again.
Maryland: The only thing asked of a champion is to defend their title. Maryland has done just that. A team that finished the season poorly has now turned it back on with two significant wins over local rivals Loyola and Penn State. This is a very winnable game for the Terps too. They have the personnel to match up with Harvard; if they can take their chances early, they will be in good shape.
Drew Yates: He has a point streak alive in the post-season. Strike while the iron is hot and try to expose the Harvard defense on the road.
Virginia vs Portland (1:00 P.M. ET)
Glad this is not a rematch of the ACC Final (Virginia-NC State)? I am.
Virginia: While the 5-0 thrashing over Bucknell is going to make headlines for the goals, it is the defense that is going to carry this team to the Final Four. Goalkeeper Diego Restrepo and company have put together nine shut-outs in a row. They will be tested against a red-hot Portland side.
Will Bates: I gushed enough about Tony Tchani last week. Bates has been an unsung hero for too long. He is a starting freshman forward that is mainly up top by himself. Portland probably will have trouble dealing with his physicality, if he can take his chances as well as he did last week, Cavaliers will be in good shape.
Portland: Two road wins in a row?! Can they make it three? The good news: They should get their starting 'keeper back after his red card against New Mexico. The bad news: The Pilots know the task that faces them, they lost to Virginia, 3-0 earlier this season. Best chance any team has against UVA, keep six or seven behind the ball, do not make mistakes in your defensive third, and counter attack with speed. Simple, right?
Collen Warren: After a two goal performance in their win over New Mexico, Warren came back with the game winning assist against NC State in the 80th minute. A lot will be asked of Warren against a very skillful UVA midfield.
For third round predictions, check out the College Soccer Prof’s twitter (twitter.com/NCAAsoccer) on Wednesday.
Happy Thanksgiving!
J.R. Eskilson writes a weekly NCAA column on Tuesday for Goal.com.
And then there were sixteen. It may not be sweet for all the sides heading into the third round games this Sunday, but they are all glad their seasons are still alive. This past weekend we saw #4 seed Ohio State lose to Drake in overtime. Quote from this column last week: “Is anyone really buying into the idea that Ohio State is the fourth best team in the nation? Outside of their conference schedule, they have one win over a tournament team (Butler)...This group only needs to be described by two words: Upset Central.” Do not worry, my resume has already been sent to the NCAA committee.
This week, we are going to delve into every matchup and highlight some difference makers. All third round games will be played Sunday, Nov. 29th. Plan on arriving early to games, there will be plenty of traffic this holiday weekend.
Akron vs Stanford (4:00 P.M. ET)
Something to consider heading into this match-up: Akron has not played a West Coast school this season. There is a huge difference between physicality and speed of play between coastal schools. This could turn into more of a dog fight than anyone anticipates.
Akron: Zips held South Florida to one shot on goal in their second round win. They are so dominate in the midfield against their opponents that it is extremely difficult to generate chances. As I wrote earlier this season, it is impossible to score if you never get the ball. The only team standing in Akron’s way from lifting the title is Akron. As long as the breaks keep going their way, there is no stopping this team.
Anthony Ampaipitakwong: The star of the show in their first game with both goals. If Stanford gives up a free kick close to their box, expect to see Ampaipitakwong hitting it home. He is another weapon in the vast arsenal of Caleb Porter’s side.
Stanford: Cardinal shredded through a questionable St. Mary’s defense in the first round and then won on the road against UC Irvine in the second round. So far, they have not let in a goal in the post-season. Their reward, facing off against the most potent offense in the country in the third round. The only piece of advice at this point is to defend in numbers and pray for lucky bounces.
Bobby Warshaw: He has not registered a point in the post-season so far but he runs this team. There is going to be a lot asked of Warshaw defensively against Akron, but if he wants to get national recognition this is a ‘put up or shut up’ game.
Northwestern vs Tulsa (3:00 P.M. ET)
These teams met earlier this season. Northwestern prevailed 3-2 in overtime. Northwestern striker, Matt Eliason, told goal.com that the win over Tulsa was the turning point in the season for his side. Tulsa wants to send Northwestern’s season back the other way this time.
Northwestern: For all intents and purposes, they were dominated by Notre Dame in the second round. Notre Dame crushed them in shots and possession, but Northwestern made the most of their chances and moved on. They cannot afford to give Tulsa too many opportunities, but if they continue to put away their shots as effectively as they did in the second round, they will be hard to beat.
Matt Eliason: The Junior striker picked up an assist in the second round game, but he still has not registered a goal in the tourney in his three trips there. Tulsa’s 4-3 win over St. Louis showed their defense is suspect. Time for Eliason to pounce and produce another game winner like he did against Tulsa in the first meeting.
Tulsa: Anytime a team gives up a goal in the final five seconds of a game to level the score and send the game to overtime, it has to be heartbreaking. To come back in overtime and win the game proves that this team is never out of it. They need to limit the mistakes against Northwestern because they will capitalize on any scraps.
Ashley McInnes: Individual moments of brilliance are what Delirious December (NCAA Tourney) is all about. McInnes picked up a ball twenty-five yards from goal, realized he had space to turn, beat his defender on the dribble, and ripped an unstoppable shot to win the game.
North Carolina vs Indiana (2:00 P.M. ET)
Not entirely sure what to make of either of these teams. Still not convinced UNC is as good as advertised. Not sure if Indiana’s two wins in the tourney are legit or just home-cooking. They hit the road here, so one of these teams will have to show their colors.
North Carolina: When you watch a team long enough, you begin to catch tendencies in their play. It is easy to pick up on the moments where they are clicking on all cylinders. Well, UNC have not reached that plateau in a long time. They need to wake up because their trip to the Final Four is relatively easy if they can reach that level again.
Alex Dixon: This Indiana side is susceptible to speed, and Dixon has plenty of that. He showed his ability to finish against Brown, UNC will need to utilize this weapon and attack at will against this dubious Indiana defense.
Indiana: In a vacuum, wins over Louisville and Butler are extremely impressive. However, both games were at home. The true worth of a team is not shown until they can go on the road and win. Indiana is going to have to put together the best performance of the season to steal this one in Chapel Hill.
Luis Soffner: The freshman keeper will need to make saves early to set the tone and keep the Hoosiers in the game.
Boston College vs Drake (2:00 P.M. ET)
Two Cinderellas, only one glass slipper. Who will get the trip to the next round?
Boston College: The Youngsters from Chestnut Hill just keep chugging along, and surprisingly end up with a home game here. Not fully convinced that this team understands the significance of still being alive this deep in the post-season, but that might be for the best because these kids sure can play.
Justin Luthy: The Freshman keeper has been stellar. Against St. John’s, he was roughed up and flipped over, but he came out on top with some clutch saves in the end to preserve a 1-0 win.
Drake: If Drake can slip by B.C. here, they will officially be deemed the Cinderellas of this post-season. The task at hand is difficult, but not impossible. This is the most skilled team they have faced, so they need to match the difference in ingenuity with heart.
Wake Forest vs Duke (5:00 P.M. ET)
ACC rivals battle again! Not the most thrilling match up to see a repeat of a league game (from three weeks ago); however, the bitter rivalry between these two sides runs deep so this should be a passionate encounter.
Wake Forest: Jay Vidovich’s side always seems to be here during this time in the season. He is a great coach that should get his shot at the next level soon. His teams are well-coached so they know the significance of this game and taking care of business. It will be a solid defensive effort, they will not concede more than a goal, it is up to the offense to take care of the rest.
Corben Bone: He was the ACC Offensive player of the year this season. The Deacs rely on him to generate chances, he will be the lynch-pin of the attack on Sunday.
Duke: Wear your heart on your sleeve, Blue Devils. Wake Forest already embarrassed you once this season. Have some pride and go out there and fight until the final whistle. Leave it all on the field, you have nothing to lose at this point. That is the best pep talk I have. Good talk.
James Belshaw: How many saves will it take to keep Duke in the game? Over/under is at 6.
UCLA vs UCSB (8:00 PM ET)
BATTLE OF THE WEST COAST! Apologies to every other California school, but this is the dream match up. UCLA’s storied history against UCSB’s recent success and rabid support. The schools are separated by 100 miles, but they seem worlds apart. There was a time when UCSB was the little brother in this relationship that was just humbled to be on the field with the Bruins. A lot has changed since then, the Gauchos beat the Bruins in the 2006 NCAA Delirious December final. Now, they recruit against each other, and have both been in the top five rankings this season.
UCLA: They are the more skillful side, there is no debating this fact. The reason why anyone would be hesitant to deem them favorites in this matchup is their heart. This needs no further proof, UCLA has skated by with skillful players and no heart for five years now. This could all change on Sunday, or the UCLA program could need a shake-up.
Midfield: Michael Stephens, Kyle Nakazawa, Amobi Okugo. UCLA will be forced to win the battle in the midfield, but that will not be an easy task. UCSB possesses a talented midfield, and offer some match-up problems. It will be up to this unit to outplay their counter-parts to win.
UCSB: Health is the major question mark for the Gauchos. Michael Tetteh has been battling a knock for about a month now. Luis Silva has not looked 100% since the post-season started. If UCSB can use this week off to get their side healthy, they will be in very good shape. Even though this is listed as an away game for UCSB, expect the majority of the stadium to be in Gaucho colors.
David Walker: One of the few Seniors on this team, he has scored back to back game winners to get UCSB to this point. Facing off against UCLA’s centerbacks, Andy Rose and Sean Alvarado, is no easy task but Walker is an experienced player that knows how to score big time goals.
Harvard vs Maryland (1:00 P.M. ET)
Can the brainiacs stop the ACC dominance? This is going to probably be the closest game of the day. Both teams have a lot on the line and plenty of Seniors that want to play in one more game.
Harvard: The Ivy League has struggled after being gifted with four berths into the tournament, but Harvard might just have what it takes to make the league proud. They easily took care of a scrappy Monmouth side in the second round. It is going to take an equal effort to top a veteran Maryland side.
Andre Akpan: Big time goal last weekend from a big time player. Show us all you can do it again.
Maryland: The only thing asked of a champion is to defend their title. Maryland has done just that. A team that finished the season poorly has now turned it back on with two significant wins over local rivals Loyola and Penn State. This is a very winnable game for the Terps too. They have the personnel to match up with Harvard; if they can take their chances early, they will be in good shape.
Drew Yates: He has a point streak alive in the post-season. Strike while the iron is hot and try to expose the Harvard defense on the road.
Virginia vs Portland (1:00 P.M. ET)
Glad this is not a rematch of the ACC Final (Virginia-NC State)? I am.
Virginia: While the 5-0 thrashing over Bucknell is going to make headlines for the goals, it is the defense that is going to carry this team to the Final Four. Goalkeeper Diego Restrepo and company have put together nine shut-outs in a row. They will be tested against a red-hot Portland side.
Will Bates: I gushed enough about Tony Tchani last week. Bates has been an unsung hero for too long. He is a starting freshman forward that is mainly up top by himself. Portland probably will have trouble dealing with his physicality, if he can take his chances as well as he did last week, Cavaliers will be in good shape.
Portland: Two road wins in a row?! Can they make it three? The good news: They should get their starting 'keeper back after his red card against New Mexico. The bad news: The Pilots know the task that faces them, they lost to Virginia, 3-0 earlier this season. Best chance any team has against UVA, keep six or seven behind the ball, do not make mistakes in your defensive third, and counter attack with speed. Simple, right?
Collen Warren: After a two goal performance in their win over New Mexico, Warren came back with the game winning assist against NC State in the 80th minute. A lot will be asked of Warren against a very skillful UVA midfield.
For third round predictions, check out the College Soccer Prof’s twitter (twitter.com/NCAAsoccer) on Wednesday.
Happy Thanksgiving!
J.R. Eskilson writes a weekly NCAA column on Tuesday for Goal.com.
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