The hunt to reach this year's NCAA College Cup is reaching fever pitch, and four teams will take their place in the tournament's semifinals following Saturday's results.
An early win for UMBC over Creighton sees the Retrievers take their spot in the semifinals, with three places remaining in the quest to make this year's national championship fixture.
Read on for up-to-date coverage of Saturday's quarterfinal fixtures and how the semifinal platform is shaping up in the 2014 contest.
NCAA.com
Providence Upsets Michigan State in High-Scoring AffairIn the second of four Elite Eight matchups contested Saturday, No. 11 Providence held on to defeat No. 3 Michigan State by a score of 3-2 at DeMartin Soccer Complex in East Lansing, Michigan.
With the victory, the Friars have now had the most successful season in team history by reaching the Final Four, according to Kyle McCarthy of Fox Soccer:
Providence defeats Michigan State to advance to the Final Four for the first time in program history.
- Kyle McCarthy (@kylejmccarthy) December 6, 2014
Saturday's match got off to a dream start for the Spartans as forward Adam Montague scored just eight minutes in to give Michigan State a 1-0 lead and whip the home crowd into a frenzy.
Providence has shown a great deal of resolve all season long, however, and it was once again on display in the Elite Eight.
The Spartans led for most of the first half, but the Friars broke through in the 37th minute with a goal from midfielder Daniel Neustadter. Then, just five minutes later, midfielder Dominik Machado put Providence up 2-1 ahead of halftime.
Michigan State defender Ryan Keener knew what his team needed to do in order to have success prior to Saturday's match, per Matthew Argillander of The State News, but they fell short in that regard.
'(Providence is a) very talented team, they share with us (our) hard-working blue collar mentality,' Keener said. 'I think we need to stick to what we do best ... if we stay sound defensively and keep everything tight on set pieces then I think we'll give ourselves a shot.'
The Spartans' defensive struggles continued in the second half as striker Fabio Machado notched an insurance marker for the Friars in the 62nd minute.
Michigan State answered eight minutes later with a goal from midfielder Jay Chapman, but Providence was able to hold on for the remainder of the match and pull off the biggest win in the history of the program.
With the Friars through to the next round, they will face the winner of Saturday night's clash between No. 2 UCLA and North Carolina in the Final Four.
UMBC Downs Creighton After Penalty Shootout FinishUnseeded UMBC became the first team to take its place in the College Cup semifinals on Friday evening after a scoreless draw was left to be decided on spot kicks.
After 110 minutes, the two sides had failed to produce a winner, as 12th-seeded Creighton couldn't make their favorites tag coming into this matchup tell.
Senior Kay Banjo struck the decisive winner for Pete Caringi's side, who will now face either Virginia or Georgetown next Friday evening.
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Billy Heavner saved Creighton's first attempt from 12 yards, and after the tallies were leveled at three penalties apiece, the crowd went wild as Banjo fired home to cement UMBC's progress:
It was a day for the two stoppers to be thrown into the firing line, and although Heavner will proceed as the star No. 1 from this clash, Creighton keeper Connor Sparrow had his share of highlights, too.
Steve Berkowitz of USA Today noted that defense has been the foundation of this team's success:
En route to NCAA men's soccer final four, UMBC has beaten Wake, Maryland, Louisville and Creighton without allowing a goal
- Steve Berkowitz (@ByBerkowitz) December 6, 2014
Both defenses were tested in what proved to be a back-and-forth game lacking in clinical attempts on goal, and the Retrievers held firm in extra time to keep their hopes of an upset alive.