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NCAA Tournament: A Look Ahead to the Quarterfinals

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By JOHN BOSCHINI

It's the kind of stuff Hollywood was built on.

Last season, a staggering nine goals were produced in a snowy quarterfinal clash between then-No. 1 Louisville and No. 8 UCLA, as the Cardinals squeaked out a 5-4 victory on their way to a runner-up finish. Aaron Horton scored with 52 seconds to play in regulation to cap off one of the most thrilling games in NCAA Tournament history.

The two teams get to do it all over again Saturday when 12th-seeded Louisville hosts No. 13 UCLA at Cardinal Park (7 p.m.). The Cardinals have regained the offensive form that made them a preseason favorite, turning in a 4-2 drubbing of Maryland in College Park last weekend behind striker Colin Rolfe's goal and three assists.

This year's UCLA squad is more experienced than the talented but very young team of 2010 and has gotten red-hot since a shaky start to the season. Louisville was comfortable in a 2-0 defeat of the Bruins back on Aug. 27, but exercise caution in using that result as an indicator of how this matchup will play out.

The Bruins have won 10 of their last 11 games and are riding a shutout streak that dates back to Oct. 28, a span of seven matches. The offense has been outstanding as well, averaging more than two goals per game during that run. Leading the offensive charge for the Bruins is Chandler Hoffman, who has racked up 18 goals and four assists. Backing him up is sophomore and U.S. Under-20 midfielder Kelyn Rowe and his 10 assists.

Of more concern for the Bruins will be the cross-country trip. UCLA has flown east just once this season for the aforementioned loss to Louisville. The last time UCLA traveled to the East Coast and came away with a victory was back on Sept. 4, 2009, at Maryland.

Here is a look ahead to the other NCAA quarterfinals:

Charlotte at No. 3 UConn (Sunday, 1 p.m.)

The Connecticut Huskies topped the polls for much of the season with an unbeaten run through the Big East, but late struggles cast doubt on their national title credentials. The Huskies have yet to really be tested in the NCAA Tournament and come up against a Charlotte team that has shown surprising resilience with wins over UAB and defending champion Akron.

UConn is led by Senegalese striker Mamadou Diouf, who has 13 goals on the season, along with the attacking play of Tony Cascio and Carlos Alvarez, but where the Huskies really shine is on defense. Goalkeeper Andre Blake and his back line — led by right back Andrew Jean-Baptiste — are boasting an astounding 0.38 goals against average, and one goal might be enough to see UConn through.

Charlotte's approach will likely be the same one that got the 49ers to the Elite Eight. Physical play and an offense that isn't wasteful with chances has been Charlotte's MO for the season. No player is into double digits on goals for the season, but four players have at least five goals apiece, led by Giuseppe Gentile (nine), who scored the game-winner against the Zips.

No. 7 USF at No. 2 Creighton (Sunday, 1 p.m.)

This is the only quarterfinal matchup where the two highest seeds in the quadrant meet for a place in the College Cup. South Florida recovered well from an embarrassing early exit in the Big East tournament and have dispatched UCF and unbeaten New Mexico in the NCAAs.

Creighton should be feeling confident, as first-year coach Elmar Bolowich loooks for his fourth-straight College Cup after taking UNC to the last three. The Blue Jays are perfect at home and have only conceded twice there all season. Striker Ethan Finlay is one of the most dangerous attacking players left in the tournament.

St. Mary's at No. 1 North Carolina (Saturday, 5 p.m.)

St. Mary's is the surprise of the tournament, as the little-known, unseeded school has charged into the quarterfinals. Its deep run faces its biggest challenge yet, though, when the Gaels face North Carolina in what is very much a David vs. Goliath matchup.

North Carolina is stacked with future professionals and is looking for a fourth-straight College Cup berth. Striker Billy Schuler has come through late in games multiple times for the Tar Heels, scoring eight game-winning goals. Midfielders Kirk Urso and Enzo Martinez should provide plenty of service against an over-matched St. Mary's midfield, with dominant centerback Matt Hedges proving to be an intimidating force in defense.

These are the kinds of matchups St. Mary's has been coming against all tournament, and the Gaels will hope to defy conventional wisdom once again by adding the Tar Heels to a list of upset victims that includes Cal-State Bakersfield, UC-Irvine and Brown. Tom Mohoric has two goals in the postseason for St. Mary's, but he will likely need to score multiple goals for the Gales to stand a chance in Chapel Hill. where the Tar Heels are unbeaten on the season.

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What do you think of the quarterfinal matchups? Are you looking forward to the rematch between UCLA and Louisville? Will Creighton continue their dominance at home? Can St. Mary's upset North Carolina? 

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Hmmm. if a .36 GAA is “astounding”, what does that make Creightons GAA of .22?

    (SBI- A .36 GAA in the BIG EAST shatters a .22 in the MVC. Not really a question.)

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  2. Love seeing the nascent UofL soccer powerhouse take on and beat traditional programs like UCLA. Going to be a great match, GO CARDS!!!

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  3. For what it’s worth, Louisville is more Midwest than it is East Coast. It’s an 11-hour drive (mostly west) from where I live and I’m two hours from the New Jersey shore. Either way I’m hoping the travel works in Louisville’s favor. Go Cards!

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