Two games went to penalty kicks. Another two saw a golden goal scored in extra time. And the 2014 finalist and runners-up were eliminated.
The 2015 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship continued on Sunday and the second round did not lack for drama. Of the 12 games that finished in regulation, six were decided by one goal, including No. 1 seed Wake Forest who defeated Charlotte 1-0 at Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Sixteen of the 48 teams remain in a tournament that will culminate at Sporting Park on Dec. 13. Tickets for this year’s College Cup are available and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL. Groupon is also offering a limited-time deal for passes to both the semifinal doubleheader as well as the championship match.
Of the 12 Sporting KC Academy products that entered the tournament, six remain, including University of North Carolina sophomore forward Zach Wright, whose game-winning goal propelled the Tar Heels to a 2-1 victory over Coastal Carolina. UNC will now play No. 12 seed Creighton, who defeated Drake 5-1 on Sunday. Creighton’s defense is led by Sporting KC Academy product and team co-captain Eric DeJulio, who has 19 games played for the Blue Jays this year.
Although both teams entered the weekend as underdogs, UCLA and Virginia - who last met in the 2014 College Cup championship match - fell on Sunday. In addition, only two of the 16 seeded teams lost yesterday with Boston College upsetting No. 14 seed South Florida and SMU upsetting No. 13 seed Denver. Denver’s golden goal loss was their first of the year and their first goal allowed since Oct. 5. No. 8 seed Stanford, led by U.S. Men's National Team forward Jordan Morris, scored three second-half goals to defeat Santa Clara 3-1 at home.
The third round of the tournament will resume on Saturday and Sunday at the site of the higher seed. Follow @SportingPark on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates throughout the tournament.
