By Kathryn L. Knapp
FrontRowSoccer.com Contributor
CHESTER, Pa. – A restart made all the difference for the Indiana University men’s soccer team in Friday’s second College Cup semifinal.
Trevor Swartz sent a corner kick into the box in the 50th minute as Andrew Gutman sent it past goalkeeper James Pyle for the 1-0 lead and eventual win over the University of North Carolina at Talen Energy Stadium.
“Congratulations to North Carolina. They gave us a lot of challenges tonight,” IU head coach Todd Yeagley said. “I thought our individual team defending helped us when we needed it most, in the biggest moments.”
UNC turned up the pressure from the first whistle, dominating possession. It wasn’t until 10 minutes left in the first half that Indiana finally pushed toward goal.
The Hoosiers continued to push forward in the second half, netting the lone goal in the 50th minute.
But UNC didn’t give up with out a fight. Lucas Del Rosario had one of the Tar Heels best looks with just over a minute remaining. Standing in the box, Del Rosario spun and shot the ball wide right..
“I felt throughout the game we were a little hesitant,” UNC head coach Carlos Somoano said. “They got us to pause in our decisions. We chose to pause. It was a little bit of them and a little bit of us. They created that. It was almost one of those games where we weren’t going to let loose until they scored, tragically.”
UNC (17-4-1) fell short in its third College Cup in six years. IU earned its 18th shutout, remaining undefeated as it reached its NCAA record 19th College Cup appearance. With the win the Hoosiers advanced to its 15th NCAA championship.
IU will face defending champion Stanford Sunday at 1 p.m. at Talen Energy Stadium.
