|
NCAA Division I Men's Tournament Bracket NCAA Division I Men's Conference Tournament Scoreboard
|
Men's College Cup Snow is forecast as Yeagley chases final title at Indiana.
SoccerTimes (Saturday, December 13, 2003) -- The Men's College Cup final is already heading to a storybook ending. Why not add a little snow for effect? Indiana coach Jerry Yeagley's legendary career concludes tomorrow after the seventh-ranked Hoosiers take on No. 6 St. John's for the NCAA Division I championship at Columbus (Ohio) Crew Stadium. ESPN 2 will televise the 2 p.m. (ET) match. The National Weather Service calls for temperatures around freezing, with possibly an inch of snow tonight with up to two more inches of a "wintery mix" on Sunday. Should a tear come to Yeagley's eye as his last game comes to a close, he can always claim it's precipitation. "I'm trying not to let (retirement) enter into it," he said. "I'm just trying to enjoy every moment. . . The finality will be there when it's over, I'm sure. I know I'm going to have a big withdrawal at the time, but right now I'm just having fun." The Hoosiers (16-3-5) needed extra time to advance to the final, using Pat Yates' flicked header off Brian Plotkin's long cross in the 104th minute to advance 1-0 over No. 11 Santa Clara. St. John's was outplayed by Maryland in the first semifinal, but Sebastian Alvarado-Ralph's first-half penalty kick held up to give the Red Storm (17-5-3) the 1-0 triumph.
Who would have thought the Hoosiers would be playing for their sixth national championship when the club opened the season 2-3-4? But the young side came together and IU is 14-0-3 in its last 17 outings. When the Hoosiers defeated Virginia Commonwealth 5-0 in the NCAA tournament third round, Yeagley (543-101-44, .821) became the winningest coach in NCAA Division I history. "What more can you ask for?" Yeagley asked. "You get to play the very last game of your very last year for a championship. But it's not about me. I had my championships. These guys -- I just can't say enough about this team and how far they've come, how much fun it's been being with them." To help close Yeagley's career on a championship note, reinforcements will be arriving from the Middle East. Midfielder and leading scorer Ned Grabavoy and defender Drew Moor have missed the NCAA tournament to be with the United States under-20 side at the World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates. Argentina eliminated the Americans 2-1 in overtime Friday, allowing the two players to rush back and join the Hoosiers. Grabavoy was expected in tonight and Moor tomorrow morning with Yeagley planning to throw both directly into the lineup, reducing the number of starting freshman from five to four. "Depends on how they warm up, how their legs are, how they feel after the travel as to how much they'll play, but believe me, if they're ready, and they look ready, they'll play," said Yeagley, 63. "If they're ready to play and they warm up strong, we'll put them in right away." Sunday's final match features two teams who play attractive, possession soccer, looking to move the ball strategically on the ground, eschewing the long ball in most situations. "I think we are similar," Yeagley said of final pairing. "We both like to hold the ball, possess the ball and build it. I have the greatest respect for (St. John's coach) Dave (Masur) and what he does and how his players play. I think it should be an attractive game." In 2001, Indiana knocked off the Red Storm 2-1 in overtime in the semifinals en route to the NCAA crown. "The last time we played, in the semifinal, I thought it was outstanding game," Yeagley said. St. John's will receive a boost with the return of defender Chris Leidner who sat out the semifinal, suspended for his red card in the Red Storm's 3-2 quarterfinal decision over Creighton. "Chris will give us a little versatility," St. John's coach Dave Masur said. "I am sure he is anxious and excited to play in the championship game." A capsule look at Sunday's opponents: St. John's (17-5-3)Coach: Dave Masur, 206-52-34, .764, in 13th year at St. John's, 259-73-40, .750, in 17th year overall. Goals for-against: 48-20 NCAA tournament seed\national ranking: 6\6. How qualified for NCAA tournament: At-large from the Big East. Finished first in regular season. Lost 2-0 to Notre Dame in Big East tournament final. 2003 NCAA tournament results: Defeated Connecticut 4-2 in penalty kicks after 0-0 draw (second round), defeated California-Santa Barbara 3-2 in second overtime (third round), both at home; defeated Creighton 3-2 (quarterfinals) at Maryland, defeated Maryland 1-0 (semifinals). NCAA tournament history: 18-10, .643, in 12th consecutive and overall appearance; 1996 NCAA champion, making third Final Four appearance since 1996. Against 2003 Final Four: None. All-time record against Indiana: 2-1 Record against 2003 NCAA tournament teams: 7-5-2, .571 (Note: St. John's advanced in NCAA tournament after both ties, winning penalty-kicks tiebreakers. Probable starting lineup: Goalkeeper - Bill Gaudette (senior, 0.81 goals-against average, 8 shutouts). Defenders - Chris Leidner (junior, 0-4-4), Jeff Carroll (sophomore, 0-0-0), Tim O'Neill (senior, 1-1-3), Georgios Spanos (freshman, 0-1-1). Midfielders - Chris Wingert (senior, 4 goals, 4 assists, 12 points), Chris Corcoran (junior, 2-7-11), Angel Rodriguez (senior, 2-2-6), Sebastian Alvarado-Ralph (sophomore, 5-4-14), Forwards: Ryan Kelly (junior, 7-3-17), Simone Salinno (senior, 14-3-31). Reserves: M Matt Groenwald (junior, 5-9-19), M F Ashley Kozicki (freshman, 4-4-12), F\M Brian Morris (sophomore, 1-1-3). Goal leaders: Salinno 14, Kelly 7, Alvarado-Ralph 4, Kozicki 4, Wingert 4. Assist leaders: Groenwald 9, Corcoran 7, Alvarado-Ralph 5, Kozicki 4, Wingert 4. Points leaders: Salinno 31, Groenwald 19, Kelly 17, Alvarado-Ralph 14, Kozicki 12, Wingert 12. Notes: The last time the St. John's advanced to the Final Four was 2001 when the Red Storm lost 2-1 in overtime to Indiana in the semifinals. Junior defender Chris Leidner returns to the starting lineup after sitting out the semifinal, suspended for his red card in the 3-2 quarterfinal victory over Creighton. Dave Masur: "We are worried about (Indiana's) midfield. They are very strong. Their defense is strong also and they are athletic and determined. They will also be emotionally charged for their coach's last game." Chris Wingert: "I think we will have to rely on our preparation and stick to our game plan. We will have to play hard all 90 minutes." Chris Corcoran: "Our biggest strength is coach Masur and his ability to prepare us for a game in a short amount of time." Indiana (16-3-5)Coach: Jerry Yeagley, 543-101-44, .821, in 31st season, all at Indiana. Goals for-against: 43-16. NCAA tournament seed\national ranking: 8\7. How qualified for NCAA tournament: Big Ten tournament champion; finished first in regular season at 5-0-1. 2003 NCAA tournament results: Defeated Kentucky 2-1 in second overtime (second round), defeated Virginia Commonwealth 5-0 (third round), both at home; won 2-1 at UCLA (quarterfinals), defeated Santa Clara 1-0 in second overtime (semifinals). NCAA tournament history: 67-22, .753, in 28th appearance; five national titles (1982, 1983, 1988, 1998, 1999), playing in 16th Final Four. Against 2003 Final Four: None. All-time record against St. John's: 1-2. Record against 2003 NCAA tournament teams: 8-3, .727. Probable starting lineup: Goalkeeper - Jay Nolly (junior, 0.62 goals-against average, 11 shutouts) Defenders - Drew Moor (sophomore, 1-0-2), Julian Dieterle (freshman, 2 goals, 0 assists, 4 points), Jed Zayner (freshman, 0-1-1), Drew Shinabarger (senior, 0-2-2). Midfielders - M Ned Grabavoy (junior, 10-11-31), Danny O'Rourke (junior, 0-0-0), Brian Plotkin (sophomore, 7-9-23), Josh Tudela (freshman, 1-5-7), Vijay Dias (senior, 2-2-6), . Forwards: Jacob Peterson (freshman, 6-5-17), Reserves: M John Michael Hayden (freshman, 1-2-4), M Pat Yates (sophomore, 7-3-17), M Jordan Chirico (sophomore, 2-1-5), F Kevin Robson (freshman, 1-2-4), F Trey Meek (sophomore, 2-1-5), D Chris Pomeroy (sophomore, 0-1-1), D Nick Kuklenski (freshman, 0-0-0), F Greg Badger (junior, 1-0-2), G Nathan Scherpenisse (freshman, did not play). Goal leaders: Grabavoy 10, Plotkin 7, Yates 7, Peterson 6, Yates 6. Assist leaders: Grabavoy 11, Plotkin 9, Peterson 5, Tudela 5, Yates 3. Points leaders: Grabavoy 31, Plotkin 23, Peterson 17, Yates 17, Tudela 7. Notes: Yeagley is the all-time NCAA Division I leader with 543 victories and will retire after Sunday's final. He will start five freshman. Indiana is 14-0-3 in its last 17 outings. Midfielder Ned Grabavoy, who leads the Hoosiers in goals (10) and assists (11), and starting defender Drew Moor, are rushing back from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates after starting in Friday's 2-1 world championship overtime quarterfinal loss to Argentina. Both are expected to be available to the Hoosiers as reserves against St. John's. Junior captain Danny O'Rourke is a native of Columbus, Ohio. Jerry Yeagley: "We couldn't be any happier to be playing in the final. St. John's is a great team. We were able to have a good game with them two years ago and we hope that we'll have the same result (a 2-1 victory in overtime). We don't have any plans to do anything different. St. John's is always a well-prepared and balanced team. . . This game isn't about me. I have had many opportunities to see championship games. This game is about the players. I haven't really thought about it much." Vijay Dias: "I grew up in Montana so (snow) is nothing new for me. You don't really feel it when you get out there. I remember growing up and as a warmup you would shovel snow off the field. It was probably colder (Friday) night than it will be tomorrow." Gary Davidson is a SoccerTimes managing editor and can be e-mailed at editor@soccertimes.com. |
