College Soccer: The Road to the Cup (Men and Women)

[JohnBM01]

GTPlanet, if you follow college soccer, this is a chance to share your views of the forthcoming NCAA Soccer/Football championships. My contribution and first post is in Women's College Soccer. Dig this, people.

MAAC Women's Finals On the line: NCAA Berth
Lake Buena Vista, Florida

* Fairfield (Stags) vs. Niagara (Purple Eagles)
Do you know your college basketball? You may remember these two teams if you follow the MAAC Championship, or the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference. The conference consists of (at least in basketball) Iona, Manhattan, Canisius, Loyola College (Baltimore, MD), Saint Peter's College, Marist, Rider, and Siena. This time around, this is a battle for the MAAC Championship for 2005. Let's meet the two teams.

NIAGARA Niagara is home to the Niagara Purple Eagles. Niagara University can be found a bit northwest of the Buffalo metropolitan area. Their colors are a rich purple color (brighter than the purple of Northwestern and Kansas State, for example), with white trim. FAIRFIELD Fairfield University is home to the Fairfield Stags. They hope to hook their antlers into the Purple Eagles, and leave Lake Buena Vista, FL to win the MAAC Championship. Fairfield, Connecticut is where they call home. Fairfield is in southwestern Connecticut, and southwest of metropolitan Bridgeport. In fact, I believe it is on the southwestern outskirts of Bridgeport.

ESPNU had the game as these feminine spitfires went at it. In the 21st minute, #5 of the Purple Eagles banged in a sweet goal to go up 1-0 in favor of Niagara. The assist helped the New Yorkers come a step closer to the Big Dance of NCAA Soccer. Minute 35 on a Free Kick, and Fairfield gets a quick flick in to try to tie the game. At this point, it's 1 all, and game on. That would be the Halftime score. The Stags connected as #11 volleyed the ball, kicked with her left foot, and caught it just between the left goal post and the goalie. Now Fairfield led 2-1 and had their first lead of the game seconds into the 60th minute. With this game, Loyola College was the lowest-ranked seed to be champions back in 1999 and 2001. Fairfield is the fifth ranked seed. Niagara got booked with two yellow cards in this game. In the end, Fairfield looked to knock in their first-ever MAAC title since 1999 and did it lovingly. Also, they get a chance to compete on a much larger stage- the NCAA Soccer tournament.

(2-1; Fairfield)

Carry on if you'd like. Final games are in early December.

 

[JohnBM01]

Women's College Soccer continues.

BIG EAST WOMEN'S SEMIFINALS 1/2; MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

#19 West Virginia (Mountaineers) vs. #15 Connecticut (Huskies)

GTPlanet, this is the Big East. The first semifinal is between Morgantown, WV's West Virginia Mountaineers and the Connecticut Huskies of Bridgeport, CT. Let's meet the two.

WEST VIRGINIA Morgantown, WV is home to the Mountaineers. You football fans may know of former Mountaineer "Pacman" Jones who now plays in the NFL. Morgantown, WV 100 or so miles south of Pittsburgh, PA (their Backyard Brawl rivals). They are a talented football team, something the Women's Soccer team hopes to carry into what most international types call football, which many of us call soccer. The Lady Mountaineers sported the blue with gold numbers. They won 11 games. CONNECTICUT Connecticut's football team is on the rise as the Huskies' men's and women's teams won the National Championship in basketball. It was a first for college basketball for a team to win the National Title in both genders. UConn won 14 games and ranked #15 in the nation.

In this game, the field is absolutely beautiful with the Fall setting of Fall leaves on the ground and the city in the background. At the 20th minute, the game seemed deadlocked between the Lady Mountaineers and the Lady Huskies. That deadlocked remained nil-nil as the First Half came to an end. Regulation solved nothing, bring on overtime! In Overtime, still a defensive stranglehold at 0-0. Then in the Second Overtime, Connecticut banged it in to send West Virginia packing. (0-1; 2OT; Connecticut - Advance to Finals)

 

[JohnBM01]

BIG EAST WOMEN'S SEMIFINALS 2/2: MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

#5 Notre Dame (Fighting Irish) vs. #11 Marquette (Golden Eagles)

NOTRE DAME Who doesn't know the Notre Dame fight song if you're in college sports? There's nothing like football in South Bend, IN. The Fighting Irish are really improved on the gridiron with Charlie Weis at the helm. In basketball, Notre Dame is pretty good, playing in the Big East with teams like Connecticut, St. John's, Saint Joseph, and even Villanova. The Fighting Irish were once National Champions in NCAA women's soccer. They hope to return to the promised land, but they have a small problem- home field advantage to their opponents. Notre Dame lost only two games. MARQUETTE Ring Out Ahoya! Football types, you've never heard of Marquette for a reason. The Golden Eagles of Marquette do not have a football program. They are better known in college basketball and have formerly played in Conference USA. Now Marquette is a Big East school, joining Louisville, Cincinatti, DePaul, and South Florida as ex-Conference USA schools. The game is played at Marquette University's fied, so you can imagine the home field advantage they have.

The score was deadlocked for quite some time until Notre Dame made a big strike deep into the 27th minute to silence Milwaukee and frustrate Marquette. And that's how the First Half ended. At about the 60+ minute, Notre Dame had a corner set up, and had another Lady Fighting Irish knock it in to further disappoint Marquette. Minutes later, the 12th Man had their lips locked as ND notched up another goal. In soccer (or even hockey), trailing by more than 2 is a blowout at this point. 3-0 for the Fighting Irish as they hope to continue... and they did! (3-0; Notre Dame - Advances to Finals)