Welcome back to MLS On Campus, our weekly look at the goings-on in the college game. Every Monday, we'll give you the week's best highlight, the standout players, which games to watch in the week ahead and, of course, our national Top 10 list.
The NCAA Tournament kicked off last week, with a spate of upsets and some of the country's best showing why they're regarded as surefire first-round SuperDraft picks. Check out the bracket HERE.
Big Men on Campus
North Carolina senior Scott Goodwin–The Tar Heels backstop (above) earned his armband on Sunday, making three huge saves in UNC’s penalty shootout win over UMBC. The scoreless draw was Goodwin’s 16th shutout of the year and 40th of his career, both Carolina records, while his team has won their last six shootouts going all the way back to his freshman season. Goodwin won't go high, but he'll land somewhere in MLS next spring.
Louisville redshirt sophomore Dylan Mares– It’s been a tough go for the Indiana native this season as he recovers from a major knee injury suffered in 2011, but the 2010 Big East Rookie of the Year made a huge statement on Sunday, scoring a hat trick in the Cardinals’ 5-0 throttling of Winthrop. Judging by his recent performances, 2013 could be a huge year for the player once thought to be among the best young attacking talents in the college game.
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<strong>College</strong> |
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<strong>1</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/straight-line.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; "> |
<strong>1</strong> |
<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Maryland<br><span style="font-size:12px;">(18-1-2)</span></strong></span> |
<p>New York Red Bulls Academy product Dan Metzger came up huge for the Terrapins on Sunday, scoring the game-winning goal in the waning moments of the NCAA Tournament second round match against Brown to carry Maryland to a 2-1 victory. Up next is a fascinating third-round matchup against Coastal Carolina. </p> |
<strong>2</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/straight-line.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; "> |
<strong>2</strong> |
<p class="rtecenter" style=""><strong style="font-size: 16px; ">Akron</strong><br><strong style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(18-1-2)</span></strong></p> |
<p>The Zips allowed their first goal in seven matches, but still slipped by Michigan to book their third round matchup against Creighton, a team they drew 1-1 in Omaha earlier this year. Akron is now 6-0 against the Big Ten Conference this year and has amazingly lost just once at home in the last five years. </p> |
<strong>3</strong> |
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<strong>3</strong> |
<strong style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center; ">Notre Dame<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(17-3-1)</span></strong> |
<p>The top-ranked football team isn’t the only one making news in South Bend. The Irish have made the round of 16 for the first time since 2007 with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Michigan State. Dillon Powers’ stock keeps going up, with two assists in yet another fantastic performance from the senior midfielder.</p> |
<strong>4</strong> |
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<b>6</b> |
<strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; ">Georgetown<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(18-3-1)</span></strong> |
<p>The Hoyas fought off a strong battle from last year’s beaten finalists, UNC Charlotte, to book just their second-ever round of 16 appearance. Georgetown will face Big East foe Syracuse in the next round, a team they didn’t play during the conference season. </p> |
<strong>5</strong> |
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<strong>4</strong> |
<strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; ">North Carolina<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(15-3-3)</span></strong> |
<p>The defending champs were nearly the biggest upset of the second round, with UMBC taking the ACC co-regular season champions all the way to a shootout. The Heels are still alive, however, and a matchup with surprise package Fairleigh Dickinson awaits in the next round.</p> |
<strong>6</strong> |
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<strong>7</strong> |
<strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; ">Connecticut<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(16-3-1)</span></strong> |
<p>Nearly 5,000 fans came out to Morrone Stadium for UConn’s second round match with Northeastern, and the Huskies didn’t disappoint with a 1-0 win thanks to a Mamadou Doudou Diouf goal early in the match. UConn now has a 37-game undefeated streak in Storrs dating back to 2009, though with a red-hot New Mexico team coming to town on Sunday, that could be in jeopardy.</p> |
<strong>7</strong> |
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<strong>8</strong> |
<p class="rtecenter" style=""><strong style="font-size: 16px; ">New Mexico</strong><br><strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; "><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(17-3-1)</span></strong></p> |
<p>Arguably the most impressive performance of the second round came from the Lobos, who saw off a good Virginia side 3-1 in Albuquerque. Junior defender Kyle Venter, high on many MLS draft boards, grabbed the first goal while two second-half goals ensured victory. The round of 16 matchup against UConn will be can’t-miss theater. </p> |
<strong>8</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/arrow-up-with-shadow_1.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px;"> |
<b>9</b> |
<p class="rtecenter" style=""><strong style="font-size: 16px; ">Creighton</strong><br><strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; "><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(16-3-2)</span></strong></p> |
<p>They fairly easily dispatched of Washington 4-2 on Sunday, setting up a Midwest heavyweight showdown with Akron. The Blue Jays have now won 11 straight matches dating back to early October.</p> |
<strong>9</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/arrow-up-with-shadow_1.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; "> |
<strong>(NR)</strong> |
<strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; ">Indiana<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(13-5-1)</span></strong> |
<p>The Hoosiers destroyed Xavier 4-1 on Sunday to book a round of 16 showdown with top-seeded Notre Dame. Dynamic junior winger Nikita Kotlov, a dark-horse pick for a Generation adidas contract, bagged his first career hat trick proving the Hoosiers aren’t just a one-man army of Eriq Zavaleta.</p> |
<strong>10</strong> |
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<strong>(NR)</strong> |
<strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; ">Coastal Carolina<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(20-2-2)</span></strong> |
<p>The Chanticleers may not have won the Big South Tournament, but that was no problem for them as they went to Wake Forest and beat the Demon Deacons with an overtime goal from freshman Czech Republic native Jakub Stourac. The Sweet 16 matchup at Maryland will be a huge ask for the Chants, but at this point they really have nothing to lose. </p> |
Highlight of the Week
First up, check out New Mexico’s 3-1 win over Virgina then head to South Bend, where three Irish goals easily saw off Michigan State, then wrap it up with Akron’s 2-1 victory over Michigan.
What to Watch For:
NCAA Tournament
The Sweet 16 has some mouthwatering ties with pretty much all of them available by online streaming through the respective teams' website. All eights games are on Sunday, Nov. 25:
No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 16 Indiana
No. 2 Maryland vs. Coastal Carolina
No. 3 Georgetown vs. Syracuse
No. 4 Connecticut vs. No. 13 New Mexico
No. 5 Akron vs. No. 12 Creighton
No. 9 Notre Dame vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
No. 10 Louisville vs. Northwestern
No. 11 Tulsa vs. San Diego
