UMBC Soccer Looks To Continue Remarkable Run At College Cup
Posted on December 10, 2014 by Todd Karpovich
The UMBC men's soccer team is not heading to Cary, N.C., to simply soak in the pomp and spectacle of playing in the NCAA College Cup.
Instead, the Retrievers have every intention of bringing home a national championship.
UMBC takes on the 16th-seeded Virginia Cavaliers during the semifinals at 5 p.m. Dec. 12 on ESPNU as it looks to continue to its stunning run through the tournament. The winner will face either No. 2 UCLA or No. 11 Providence during the title game at the WakeMed Soccer Park at noon Dec. 14.
The Retrievers are the first unseeded team to advance to the College Cup since the University of Massachusetts in 2007.
UMBC's Malcolm Harris (77) celebrates a goal against Maryland during the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
Photo Credit: Gail Burton/UMBC Athletic Communications
'It's a great time to be at UMBC,' coach Pete Caringi said. 'Obviously, our players are excited. The community is excited. The whole school is excited, and I am really proud of what we've been able to accomplish so far. To go into the venues like we've went into ... nationally renowned places and soccer powerhouses ... and to go in and come away with a result says a lot about our team and our program, and more importantly, how we've handled success. I've said all along, we've been very comfortable and confident. We're looking forward to the challenges of playing the University of Virginia. All great programs are in the Final Four.'
UMBC (14-5-5) entered the tournament unseeded and advanced to the semifinals by winning four games on the road. In the first round, the Retrievers beat Wake Forest on penalty kicks. Then, they knocked off one of the tournament favorites in No. 4 Maryland, 1-0, on a goal by Malcolm Harris (McDonogh).
The Retrievers traveled to 13th-seeded Louisville for the third round and won, 1-0, on a goal by Mamadou Kansaye (McDonogh). In the national quarterfinals, UMBC traveled to Nebraska and beat No. 12 Creighton on penalty kicks as well.
'Things are not always easy for us, but together, we always prevail,' Kansaye said.
Postseason success is not new to the UMBC program. The Retrievers have played in four of the past five NCAA men's soccer tournaments.
UMBC has momentum on its side heading to the College Cup. The Retrievers are unbeaten during their past 10 games (8-0-2) and have not allowed a goal in 400 minutes of tournament play.
The defense is led by senior Oumar Ballo (Archbishop Curley), who was the first UMBC athlete to earn All-American honors as a junior last season, and he has been stellar throughout the tournament. Goalie Billy Heavner has come up big in both penalty kick shootouts.
From the first day of practice in August, the team had set a goal of reaching the national championship. Now, that dream is within in reach.
'Going into the year, we expected to be here,' Caringi said. 'This is a confident group, and we're looking forward to it.'
SCOUTING VIRGINIAHow they got here: Virginia (12-6-3) has also been resilient in advancing to its second straight NCAA College Cup and 12th overall. The 16th-seeded Cavaliers beat No. 8 seed Georgetown in a penalty-kick shootout, 5-4, during the quarterfinals after the game was tied, 1-1, at the end of regulation and two overtime periods. It was the second straight road win for Virginia, which also beat the tournament's top seed, Notre Dame, 1-0, Nov. 30.
The Cavaliers are one of the most decorated college soccer programs with six national titles (1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 2009) and a run of 34 consecutive NCAA tournaments (1981-2014).
'UMBC has had a tough road, too,' Virginia coach George Gelnovatch told WVIR-TV in Charlottesville, Va. 'Really tough road. A really impressive run. And we've had a chance to watch them a couple of times. I know their coach very well. They are a very good team.'
Dynamic midfield: The Cavaliers are led by senior midfielder Eric Bird, who was named first-team All-Atlantic Coach Conference this season. Bird was a preseason nominee to the Hermann Trophy Watch List -- college soccer's equivalent to the Heisman Trophy. He led the Cavaliers with five goals and 12 points during the regular season. Junior Todd Wharton was named third-team All-ACC. He has two goals with two assists while serving primarily as a holding midfielder. Wharton scored with 52 seconds remaining in regulation against Georgetown during the quarterfinals to send the game into overtime.
Common opponents: UMBC and Virginia had only two common opponents this season: George Mason and Wake Forest. The Retrievers lost to George Mason, 3-0, Sept. 27 and beat Wake Forest in penalty kicks during the first round of the NCAA tournament. Virginia beat host George Mason, 1-0, Oct. 7 and lost at home to Wake Forest, 2-1, Oct. 24.
'We have a lot of respect for Virginia, what they've done and the history of their program,' Caringi said. 'But our guys are going to come down on Friday [to] play their best soccer.'