College Soccer latest news

[Frank Cunha]

2006 adidas MLS Player Combine Invitees

Major League Soccer invited 54 collegians to participate in the 2006 adidas MLS Player Combine, which will be held for the third consecutive year at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., Jan. 12-15, 2006. Players in bold are on teams still alive in the NCAA Division I Tournament.

GOALKEEPERS: Ray Burse (Ohio State); Eric Kronberg
(California); Chris Dunsheath (Bradley); Andy Gruenbaum (Kentucky).

DEFENDERS: Kenny Bertz (Maryland); Chris Lancos (Maryland); Daniel Wasson (Tulsa); Kyle Veris (Ohio State); Tyson Wahl (California); Trevor McEachron (Old Dominion); Jeff Curtin (Georgetown); Cory Farabi (Drake); Justin Moore (Clemson); Anthony Noriega (George Mason); John Queeley (N.C. State); Danny Wynn (Saint Louis); Jordan Harvey (UCLA); Willis Forko (Connecticut); Stephen Shirley (VCU).

MIDFIELDERS: Josh Alcala (South Carolina); Brian Plotkin (Indiana); Blake Camp (Duke); Danny Kramer (Duke); Jeff Carroll (St. John's); Mike Chabala (Washington); David Chun (SMU); Brian Devlin (Penn State); David Walters (Penn St.); Yohann Mauger (Akron); Dan Paladini (Cal State Northridge); Matt Wieland (Creighton); Lance Watson (New Mexico); Jorge Flor (Oral Roberts); Darren Spicer (Princeton); Mpho Moloi (Connecticut); Justin Moose (Wake Forest).

FORWARDS: Mike Ambersley (Indiana); Jason Garey (Maryland); Kyle Brown (Tulsa); Calen Carr (California); Matt Groenwald (St. John's); Duke Hashimoto (SMU); Brian Civilikas (Old Dominion); Tony Donatelli (Temple); Ross McKenzie (Akron); Omar Jarun (Dayton); Jimmy Klatter (Eastern Illinois); Aaron King (N.C. State); Karim Dietz (Birmingham-Southern); Jeff Rowland (New Mexico); David Leung (Oral Roberts); Ryan Johnson (Oregon State); Kelechi Igwe (Santa Clara); Dominic Oduro (VCU).

[Frank Cunha]

WOMEN’S COLLEGE CUP
1. Preview

The Women's College Cup begins Friday afternoon with two games in College Station, Texas. In a battle of unbeatens, Penn State (23-0-1) and Portland (22-0-1) square off at 4:30 pm ET. UCLA (21-1-2) looks to return to the national championship game and carries a 19-game unbeaten streak into the nightcap against Florida State (20-3-1), which upset North Carolina in the quarterfinals. Even without the mighty Tar Heels, this year's final four shapes up to be the best in history.

PENN STATE (23-0-1)

GOALKEEPER
30 Erin McLeod (Sr., Canada)
Arguably the best goalie in the country the last two years.
DEFENDERS
24 Heather Tomko (Jr., Manchester, Md.)
Smallest of Lion defenders at 5-foot-3.
6 Natalie Jacobs (Sr., Centreville, Va.)
First-team All-American in 2004 came back from knee surgery.
15 Lindsay Bach (Sr., Rochester, N.Y.)
Co-captain missed three starts due to injury.
9 Denay Riley (Soph., Washingtonville, N.Y.)
Fixture on left side of backline.
MIDFIELDERS
2 Jean Rettig (Jr., Hummlestown, Pa.)
Returned to lineup when Ali Krieger was injured three weeks ago.
33 Zoe Bouchelle (Soph., Cockeysville, Md.)
Has scored three of seven goals in NCAA Tournament.
18 Allie Long (Fr., Northport, N.Y.)
Operates in the middle of park with Bouchelle.
5 Sheree Gray (Fr., Toms River, N.J.)
Speedster creates loads of problems on left wing.
FORWARDS
8 Tiffany Weimer (Sr., North Haven, Conn.)
Scored 32 goals with at least one goal in 23 of 24 games.
4 Carmelina Moscato (Sr., Canada)
Great vision makes her an offensive threat.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
Lindsay Bach: "I think we're a team that takes pride in having possession. We're also an aggressive team. That's something that Penn State takes pride in, being a blue-collar team that works hard."
Penn State Press Conference Audio

BEST OF THE WEB:
Penn State, Portland meet head on in semis (By Gordon Brunskill, Centre Daily)

PORTLAND (22-0-1)

GOALKEEPER
00 Cori Alexander (Jr., Martinez, Calif.)
Started 67 games in three seasons.
DEFENDERS
13 Kelsy Hollenbeck (Sr., San Bruno, Calif.)
Crosses are one of UP’s most effective weapons.
9 Stephanie Lopez (Soph., Elk Grove, Calif.)
Has potential to be U.S. national team starter.
21 Emily Michaelson (Soph., Portland, Ore.)
Two-year starter at central defender.
4 Kari Evans (Jr., Glendale, Ariz.)
Threat in the air on corner kicks.
MIDFIELDERS
2 Lisa Sari (Jr., Longview, Wash.)
Three-year starter in midfield.
3 Megan Rapinoe (Fr., Redding, Wash.)
Scored twice in each of last two games.
6 Angie Woznuk (Soph., El Cajon, Calif.)
One of top young playmakers in the country.
17 Lindsey Huie (Sr., Mission Viejo, Calif.)
Like Lopez and Woznuk, earned U.S. cap over summer.
FORWARDS
12 Christine Sinclair (Sr. Canada)
Still stuck of 37 goals, tied for NCAA record.
15 Natalie Budge (Soph., Rualatin, Ore.)
Three times has had two assists in a game.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
Lindsey Huie: "Being a smaller school is an advantage for us. Our fans are so loyal and supportive. When you look into the crowd Friday you'll see a lot of faces from Portland."
Portland Press Conference Audio

BEST OF THE WEB:
Megan Rapinoe: Her future is here (By Abby Haight, The Oregonian)




FLORIDA STATE (20-3-1)

GOALKEEPER
0 Ali Mims (Jr., Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.)
Was brilliant in holding off UNC in quarterfinals.
DEFENDERS
3 Teresa Rivera (Sr., Parkland, Fla.)
Has six assists, one more than in first three seasons.
5 Sarah Wagenfuhr (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Brother David plays for FC Dallas.
10 Kelly Rowland (Jr., Wallingford, Pa.)
Most dangerous player attacking out of the back.
14 Katrin Schmidt (Fr. Germany)
Quietly solidified left side of FSU backline.
MIDFIELDERS
12 Libby Gianeskis (Soph., Tarpon Springs, Fla.)
Recovered from nagging injuries to take over on right side.
9 Melissa Samokishyn (Soph., Littleton, Colo.)
Had big game defensively in quarterfinals against UNC.
OR
13 Kirsten Van de Ven (Soph., Netherlands)
Missed part of postseason because of Women’s World Cup qualifying.
7 Viola Odebrecht (Jr., Germany)
2004 Olympian runs engine room in FSU midfield.
20 Mami Yamaguchi (Fr., Japan)
Left-sided midfielder has assisted on four game-winning goals.
FORWARDS
2 India Trotter (Jr., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
All-ACC first-team pick for second straight year.
6 Sel Kuralay (Soph., Australia)
2004 Olympian has fired up 'Noles with 16 goals in 23 games.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
India Trotter: "Being a junior now and at our second college cup, we have more confidence. Any team that's here is going to be amazing, so you have to play your best each and every game."
Florida State Press Conference Audio

BEST OF THE WEB:
Few details escape FSU soccer coach Krikorian (By Randy Beard, Tallahassee Democrat)

UCLA (21-1-2)

GOALKEEPER
1 Valerie Henderson (Soph., Orinda, Calif.)
Had big final four as freshman.
DEFENDERS
3 Mary Castelanelli (Jr., Lodi, Calif.)
Highest scoring defender on the team with 11 points.
9 Bristyn Davis (Jr., Locust Valley, N.Y.)
Former striker moved to backline this season.
12 Erin Hardy (Fr., Costa Mesa, Calif.)
Mainstay on defense that allowed eight goals in 24 games.
19 Jill Oakes (Sr., West Hills, Calif.)
Soccer America’s No. 1 recruit in 2002.
MIDFIELDERS
2 Stacy Lindstrom (Jr., Laguna Niguel, Calif.)
Missed 2004 season to play in U-19 World Championship
5 Christina DiMartino (Fr., Massapequa, N.Y.)
Only freshman to have started every game.
6 McCall Zerboni (Fr., San Clemente, Calif.)
Twin sister Blake comes off bench.
25 Danesha Adams (Soph., Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Arguably the fastest player in the country.
FORWARDS
10 Iris Mora (Sr., Mexico)
Tied own UCLA season record with 14 assists.
15 Kara Lang (Fr., Canada)
Has scored seven goals in four NCAA Tournament games.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
Stacy Lindstrom: "Experience gives everyone confidence and a little bit of an edge, but you still have to come out and play the game. We have a mentality that if they can't score, they can't win."
UCLA Press Conference Audio

[Ricochet]

IU freshman striker Lee Nguyen the Big 10 freshman of the year and USYNT member leaving school after one year to go pro. MLS as well PSV want him according to the rumors.

[Frank Cunha]

2. Portland crushes UCLA in final

Portland became the first team besides North Carolina to finish the NCAA Division I women’s season undefeated when the Pilots crushed UCLA, 4-0, Sunday in the Women’s College Cup final.
Senior striker Christine Sinclair scored twice, giving her 39 goals this season for a new NCAA single-season record. Sophomore midfielder Angie Woznuk added a goal and two assists, while freshman forward Megan Rapinoe also scored and recorded an assist for UP, which finished 23-0-2.
It was the second title in four years for the Pilots.
Woznuk scored Portland’s fastest goal this season in the second minute. Lindsey Huie stole a UCLA pass about 30 yards out from the Bruins’ goal, then found, who sent a pass to an unmarked Woznuk in the middle of the box. Woznuk punched it inside the right for the first goal allowed by the Bruins this postseason.
Sinclair broke the season scoring record she shared with SMU’s Lisa Cole in the 21st minute when she scored on a rocket from a feed by Woznuk,
Sinclair made it 3-0 after 41 minutes when she scored with a low shot just inside the far post. It was the 110th career goal for Sinclair, second most in NCAA Division I history, and gave her 25 career post-season goals, an NCAA record. Her 56 career post-season points are also tops in NCAA history and her 252 overall career points are fourth best all-time.
The lone goal in the second half came when Rapinoe, a freshman, scored her 15th goal this season and her sixth of the postseason.
The UP victory came two days after the Pilots needed a shootout to beat Penn State following a scoreless draw.
The Pilots went into the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 1 in the final Soccer America rankings, but UCLA had been on a roll in the postseason. They crushed Virginia, 5-0, and Florida State, 4-0, in their previous two games before the final.
The Bruins finish the season at 22-2-2. It’s the second-straight loss in the College Cup final for UCLA. Notre Dame defeated the Bruins in 2004 on penalty kicks.

[Frank Cunha]

Fans treated to dramatic endings

One game went to a shootout, two were decided by golden goals, and the fourth was decided in the last 39 seconds of regulation.
Fans certainly were treated to their share of excitement in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament
New Mexico advanced to the final four for the first time with a 1-0 win over California. For the second straight game, senior Jeff Rowland was the hero with the golden goal. He was carried off the field by fans from the sellout crowd of 5,600, which marked the third straight game the Lobos broke an attendance record at UNM Sports Complex.
SMU was the only team to win on the road, beating North Carolina, 3-2, on reserve Michael Uremovich’s shot from 30 yards in the 104th minute. The Mustangs had led, 2-0, at the half, but UNC rallied to send the game into overtime on goals by juniors Blake Beach (the first of his career) and Ted Odgers.
Charlie Roberts came off the bench to score the winning goal with 39 seconds left in regulation to give Clemson a 1-0 win over Creighton. The game was watched by 6,680 fans, the largest crowd at Clemson since a crowd of 8,832 watched the Tigers win the 1987 national championship in their last final four appearance.
No. 1 seed Maryland returns to the Men’s College Cup for the fourth straight year after defeating Akron, ranked No. 1 in the final Soccer America rankings, 4-1, in a shootout. They had played to a 1-1 tie after regulation and overtime.

[Frank Cunha]

East Carolina drops men's socccer

If you play for a mid-major college and your men’s college team goes winless, you should be worried about its future.
While it’s possible to quibble about East Carolina’s mid-major status, there's no denying the Pirates’ dismal 2005 campaign.
A month after ECU finished 0-15-1, the director of athletics Terry Holland announced that the men’s soccer program was discontinued effective immediately. The decision came in the same year during which ECU had its first player earn a cap for the USA: D.C. United rookie Clyde Simms.
The Pirates have been without a head coach since the departure of Michael Benn to become an assistant at Lehigh. Chad Halverson, who was the Pirates' interim head coach, will be retained and has been offered a position on the women's soccer staff under the direction of Rob Donnenwirth.
"In our discussions with coaching candidates, it became clear that a significant increase in resources would have to be made available to men's soccer to improve our competitive position in Conference USA," Holland said. "The only source for the needed resources would be from the budgets of our other programs and we do not feel that any of our programs could withstand a significant budget reduction without an equally significant loss of competitiveness for the team(s) involved.”

[Frank Cunha]

Houston to get men's program

Houston might be an attractive soccer market for MLS, but it has its deficiencies.
No four-year school in the area sponsored varsity men’s soccer in 2005. That will change next year when Houston Baptist relaunches men’s soccer in 2006.
Houston Baptist, which currently competes in five sports, will add men's and women's soccer next fall. The Huskies sponsored men's soccer for 12 seasons (1979-1990), competing in the Trans America Athletic Conference as a member of NCAA Division I. HBU now competes in the NAIA. Women's soccer will make its debut at HBU.
JC power San Jacinto-South, which produced Clemson star Dane Richards, is the only other school to have men’s soccer.



MAKING A LIST
3. Discontinued NCAA Division I Men's Programs (1991-2005)

SCHOOL (LAST YEAR)
Houston Baptist (1990)
North Texas (1993)
Illinois State (1994)
Central Michigan (1994)
Arkansas-Little Rock (1995)
Maryland-Eastern Shore (1996)
Texas-Pan American (1997)
Northeastern Illinois (1997)
South Alabama (1998)
Miami-Ohio (1998)
Eastern Michigan (1998)
Charleston Southern (2002)
Fresno State (2002)
TCU (2002)
The Citadel (2002)
East Carolina (2005)

[Frank Cunha]

Soccer Report
New Mexico Rises in College Ranks
article from the New York times
The New Mexico Lobos (18-1-2), coached by Jeremy Fishbein, are going to the N.C.A.A. Division I men's final four for the first time, and they will play Clemson (15-5-3) on Friday in Cary, N.C. Maryland (18-4-1) will play Southern Methodist (14-5-3) in the other semifinal. The winners will play for the College Cup on Sunday.

Skip to next paragraph
WEEK'S BEST
PLAYER In Brazil, Romário, Vasco da Gama’s 39-year-old striker, finished the season as the league’s leading scorer (22 goals) when he converted two penalty kicks against Paraná. A third goal was disallowed because of an offside call.
CLUBS In South America, Boca Juniors of Argentina and UNAM Pumas of Mexico advanced to the finals of the Copa Sudaméricana. The first game of the two-game, home-and-away series will be tonight in Mexico City, with the return match in Buenos Aires on Dec. 18.

SOCCER
M.L.S. | MetroStars
Champions League
UEFA Cup
Other International Cups
International Leagues

New Mexico has built its program predominantly around homegrown talent: nine players on the roster are from New Mexico, seven (including four starters) from Albuquerque. Fishbein, who is in his 13th year as the Lobos' head coach, has been the beneficiary of a strong youth program in Albuquerque, particularly the Classic Bandidos club, which has funneled players to New Mexico. Coincidentally, Maryland (the sophomore midfielder Robbie C'deBaca) and Clemson (the senior midfielder Randy Albright) also have players from Albuquerque.

"Two of our seniors played for the Bandidos team that went to the national championships two of their final three years with the club," Fishbein said in a telephone interview, referring to midfielder Brandon Moss and defender Ben Ashwill.

"A lot of people think this is the wild, wild west, but it's a fairly cosmopolitan place," he added. "There's good soccer here, and people love their Lobos."

The Lobos had a bye in the first round of the tournament, then played host to three games at the New Mexico Soccer Complex and drew more than 4,500 fans to each of those games (including a sellout of 5,600 last Friday). All three went to overtime: the Lobos erased a two-goal deficit against Wisconsin-Milwaukee before winning in a penalty-kick shootout; beat Cal State-Northridge, 1-0, on a goal 34 seconds into overtime; and ousted California, 1-0, in another overtime game last Friday. Over all, the Lobos are 6-1-3 in overtime games, and the sophomore goalkeeper Mike Graczyk has 13 shutouts.

In the last two games, the senior striker Jeff Rowland, who is a candidate for the Hermann Trophy, given to the top player in college soccer, scored the winning goal.

Three of the four teams in the semifinals are from parts of the country that have relatively favorable weather for soccer to be played year-round, a situation Fishbein says is a big advantage.

"In the East and the Midwest, it gets cold early and the fields get pretty sloppy, so the play must be direct," Fishbein said. "The teams have battlers and then combine them with some technical players. Out here, the whole deal changes because at the youth level, the kids can be outside playing on excellent fields 12 months a year, and the American youth players are getting better and better. I think that leads to our kids playing some real nice soccer. Our team can go either way: we have physical ball-winners, but we're all fairly technical."

[Frank Cunha]

By the Numbers

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
2 Clemson (1984, 1987)
1 Maryland (1968)
0 New Mexico
0 SMU

FINAL FOUR APPEARANCES
8 Maryland (1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1969, 2002, 2003, 2004)
6 Clemson (1973, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1987)
1 SMU (2000)
0 New Mexico

2005 GOALS PER GAME
2.59 Maryland
2.01 SMU
1.86 New Mexico
1.75 Clemson

2005 GOALS-AGAINST PER GAME
0.63 New Mexico
0.79 Clemson
0.89 Maryland
1.40 SMU



MEN’S COACHING MOVE
2. Bennett leaves Wisconsin-Milwaukee for Marquette

Wisconsin-Milwaukee men’s coach Louis Bennett is moving crosstown to become the head coach at Marquette.
Bennett led the Panthers to five straight NCAA Tournament berths, including four consecutive appearances in the second round of the tournament and 136 victories over the last five seasons. The most successful coach in the history of UWM men’s soccer, Bennett compiled a 136-63-17 record in 10 seasons.
The Englishman replaces Steve Adlard, who recently resigned as Marquette head coach. The Golden Eagles finished 1-8-1 in their first season in the Big East.
“We now compete in one of the most competitive soccer conferences in the country, one that put seven teams in the NCAA Tournament this season and has won national championships,” said Bill Cords, Marquette director of athletics. “Our goal is to compete for Big East championships, because that also means you are competitive nationally. Coach Bennett shares that vision,”



NSCAA/ADIDAS ALL-AMERICANS
3. NCAA Division III First Teams

MEN
POS/PLAYER, YEAR, SCHOOL, HOMETOWN
G, Kevin Deegan, Jr., Roger Williams, Seymour, Conn.
D, Eddie Ho, Sr., Trinity (Texas), Spring, Texas
D, Dana Leary, Jr., Williams, Washington, D.C.
D, Kurt Visker, Sr., Calvin, Grand Rapids, Mich.
M, Josh Bolton, Sr., Williams, Penfield, N.Y.
M, Kai Kasigurian, So., Messiah, Oakwood Village, Ohio
M, Jason Sousa, Sr., Plattsburgh, Brampton, Ontario
F, David McClellan, Sr., Messiah, Middleburg, Pa.
F, Geoff Meyer, Sr., Hope, Grand Rapids, Mich.
F, David Niederholtmeyer, Sr., Dominican, Washington, Mo.
F, Gary Stom, Sr., Rochester, Greensburg, Pa.

For the NCAA Division III men’s second & third teams:
http://www.socceramerica.com/article...t_ID=562136767



WOMEN
POS/PLAYER, YEAR, SCHOOL, HOMETOWN
G, Erin Williams, Sr., Puget Sound, Vancouver, Wash.
D, Seraphine Hamilton, Sr., William Smith, Trenton, N.J.
D, Laura Johnston, Sr., Sewanee, Atlanta, Ga.
D, Ashley Van Vechten, So., Rochester, Rochester, N.Y.
M, Jacqui DeLeon, Sr., Chicago, Mission Viejo, Calif.
M, Dana DiBruno, So., College of New Jersey, Cherry Hill, N.J.
M, Hannah Levesque, Sr., Messiah, Bowdoin, Maine
F, Jennifer Binger, Sr., Wheaton (Ill.), Belvidere, Ill.
F, Annie Borton, Jr., Macalester, Berkeley, Calif.
F, Courtney Kjar, Sr., Puget Sound, Sandy, Utah
F, Ariel Samuelson, Sr., Tufts, Newton, Mass.

For the NCAA Division III women’s second & third teams:
http://www.socceramerica.com/article...t_ID=562136768



DATEBOOK
4. NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament

SEMIFINALS
Dec. 9 in Cary, N.C.
1-Maryland (17-4-2) vs. SMU (14-5-3)
2-New Mexico (17-1-3) vs. Clemson (15-5-3)

[Frank Cunha]

Maryland national champion


1. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

"He opened up and from that point on I knew he was going to my left, and I just tried to get there.”
-- Maryland freshman goalie Chris Seitz on his stop of Andrew Boyens’ penalty kick in the second half of the Terrapins’ 1-0 win over New Mexico in the Men’s College Cup final.

"It's the most disappointing thing you can go through. You've got the weight of your team on your shoulders when you're standing there by yourself, and to miss it, it's horrible."
-- Boyens on his miss.



MEN’S COLLEGE CUP
2. Maryland has Seitz set on title

Maryland won the NCAA Division I men’s title 37 years after its first national championship when the Terrapins beat New Mexico, 1-0, Sunday in the final at the SAS Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
The Men’s College Cup victory came after three straight years during which Sasho Cirovski's Maryland team advanced to the final four only to fall in the semifinals.
This year, the No. 1 seed Terrapins crushed SMU, 4-1, in the semifinals with four goals in six minutes on either side of halftime.
In the final, senior transfer Marc Burch scored the only goal with a free kick from 25 yards that deflected off a Lobo defender and gave goalie Mike Gracyzk no chance.
Freshman goalie Chris Seitz made the key defensive play for Maryland, diving to stop Andrew Boyens' penalty kick in the 50th minute. Boyens knocked the rebound over the top with Seitz beaten on the ground.
Maryland was one of the first soccer powers south of the Mason-Dixon Line in the 1960s and shared the 1968 national title with Michigan State.
New Mexico, a 2-1 winner over Clemson in the other semifinal, had never advanced beyond the third round before this year.



WEEKEND ACTION
3. Men’s College Cup Summaries

SEMIFINALS
Dec. 9 in Cary, N.C.
New Mexico 2 Clemson 1. Goals: Barklage (Boyens, Watson) 20, Boyens (Gualdarama) 63; Richards 40.
New Mexico -- Graczyk, Ashwill, Boyens, Wootton, Brown, Barklage, Moss, Watson, Gualdarama, Rowland, Bagwell. Subs: Danaher, Loeseth, Wright, Hanna.
Clemson -- Marfuggi, Gibson, Sturgis, O’Hara, H.Usry, B.Moore, Quintanar, Richards, Albright, Buchholz, J.Moore. Subs: Routh, Poe, Roberts
Referee: Terry Vaughn.
Att.: 8,645.
Dec. 9 in Cary, N.C.
Maryland 4 SMU 1. Goals: Zusi (Glaudemans) 44, Garey (Goldbolt, Rogers) 47, Garey (Edu) 47, King pen. 50; da Silva (Guarda) 55.
Maryland -- Seitz, Dello-Russo, Glaudemans, Lancos, Delagarza, Goldbolt, King, Rogers, Edu, Garey, Burch. Subs: Rodkey, C’deBeca, Allen, Zusi, Beckman.
SMU -- Wideman, Gonzalez, Lopez, Mirsky, Needham, Zindel, Guarda, Chun, Saintus, Hashimoto, da Silva. Subs: Mann, Corbin, Wileman, Uremovich.
Referee: Eric Simmons
Att.: 8,645.

FINAL
Dec. 11 in Cary, N.C.
Maryland 1 New Mexico 0. Goal: Burch 31.
Maryland -- Seitz, Dello-Russo, Glaudemans, Lancos, Delagarza, Goldbolt, King, Rogers, Edu, Garey, Burch. Subs: C’deBeca, Zusi.
New Mexico -- Graczyk, Ashwill, Boyens, Wootton, Brown, Barklage, Moss, Watson, Gualdarama, Rowland, Bagwell. Subs: Danaher, Loeseth, Wright, Hanna, Vitagliano.
Referee: Michael Kennedy.
Att.: 6,922.

4. Men’s College Cup Awards

MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYERS
Offensive -- Jason Garey, Maryland
Defensive -- Chris Seitz, Maryland

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:
Jason Garey, Maryland, Chris Seitz, Maryland, Robbie Rogers, Maryland, A.J. Godbolt, Maryland, Michael Dello-Russo, Maryland, Andrew Boyens, New Mexico, Lance Watson, New Mexico, Mike Graczyk, New Mexico, Dane Richards, Clemson, Justin Moore, Clemson, Paulo da Silva, SMU.

[Frank Cunha]

PROGRAM CUTS
1. Tulane soccer is Katrina casualty

In the wake of the economic devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Tulane has ordered massive cutbacks that include the suspension of the women’s soccer program.
Face with an estimated $200 million reconstruction program, Tulane suspended eight of 16 sports.
The university also announced plans to lay off 230 teachers -- 180 at its medical school -- and eliminate several undergraduate programs, including electrical engineering and computer science.
"This is the most significant reinvention of a university in the United States in over a century," said Tulane president Scott Cowen.
The Tulane women’s soccer team got in its first game of its season-opening tournament at home, a 4-1 loss to Alabama, when Hurricane Katrina forced the Green Wave and its guests to flee New Orleans.
First, the Tulane women headed to Birmingham, Ala., then to College Station, Texas, where they spent the fall semester attending Texas A&M. Tulane played 12 games, losing all but one.
The plan was for the players to return to New Orleans for the spring semester, but that is now up in air. Players will be allowed top transfer without sitting out a year. If they desire to stay at Tulane, they will have their scholarships honored.

[Frank Cunha]

* BEST OF THE WEB: GA, Year 2

Now that the college season is over, attention turns to January's MLS SuperDraft. Who’s coming out early? Who’s skipping college altogether? Who's lokking at Europe?
A big crop of the college underclassmen expected to turn pro. Among the names being mentioned are Seton Hall junior Sacha Kljestan, Indiana juniors Jed Zayner and Jacob Peterson, Saint Louis junior John DiRaimondo, Clemson sophomore Nathan Sturgis and Indiana freshman Lee Nguyen. U-17 players considering a move to MLS are Kyle Nakazawa, David Arvizu, Ofori Sarkodie and Blake Wagner.
Nguyen, Nakazawa and U-17 striker Preston Zimmerman are all players reportedly considering European offers.
If he signs with MLS, UCLA sophomore Marvell Wynne would be expected to be selected with the No. 1 pick. Chivas USA currently holds that pick.

For the latest word on who’s going pro:
The Spew: Tracking Generation Adidas, By Buzz Carrick, 3rddegree.net