Santa Barbara, California – On the eve of the semifinals in the NCAA Men’s College Cup, members from the four participating teams came together at Harder Stadium on the campus of UC Santa Barbara to speak to the media.

Here is what the players and coaching had to say about their path to the College Cup and their expectations for their upcoming matches.

No. 3 Akron (20-1-2) vs. No. 10 Michigan (17-4-3)
Fri. Dec 10 at 11:00 EST – ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPN3.com

Akron Zips

Two in a Row: Akron comes into this year’s College Cup, after losing the 2009 final against Virginia. From there, the new season started, according to head coach Caleb Porter. He described a meeting that took place immediately after that final, and the players vowing that they will do everything possible to return to that same stage.




Containing Soony: The Michigan player who scored in the 7-1 loss to Akron earlier in the season, Soony Saad, has been on a tear this year, as has his partner in crime Justin Meram. To lock up a win, Akron must lock out these two players. That responsibility lies in the hands of Zarek Valentin, Chad Barson, and goalkeeper David Meves. Staying tight and compact will be key to stopping threats that have produced more than 65% of Michigan’s goals.




Blue Skies, No Ice: The warm weather will be a huge welcoming factor for the players. Akron came from playing on a frozen field to a field that better fits the style of play of Michael Nanchoff, Darren Mattocks, and Anthony Ampaipitakwong.




Michigan Wolverines

Ten Years Later: Before the year 2000, Michigan only had a club soccer team. Just a decade later, the Wolverines are making their first appearance at the College Cup. Head Coach Steve Burns, then club head coach, proposed an idea of natural progression. A concept to slowly climb through the ranks and win a national championship, and now, as he said, the vision is getting close to fulfillment.

Leadership: Numbers are important, but it has to be noted that Michigan would not have endured the tournament if not for the leadership of its captains, Chris Blais and Alex Wood. It will be their duty again, to keep this Michigan team, new to the lights and pressure of the College Cup, extremely composed in dire times during the game. The confidence that Michigan has during this semifinal will depend on the leadership they receive.




No. 1 Louisville (19-0-3) vs. No. 4 North Carolina (16-3-4)
Fri. Dec 10 at 8:30 EST – ESPNU

North Carolina Tar Heels

Here We Go Again: You almost want to root for the Tar Heels after how much they have suffered in such a short period. Coming into its third consecutive College Cup, it has pushed its luck. Winning three consecutive PK shootouts to get to this event has never been done before now. Add to that the heartbreaking loss of 2009 in the semis, and before that 2008 in the finals, one starts to wonder how much more does this team have to endure before it can win a championship.

Still, there’s nothing but excitement coming from the UNC camp, as Head Coach Elmar Bolowich stated.




Trending: The biggest concern the Tar Heels have is the offensive productivity. It just isn’t there. To beat Louisville, Enzo Martinez, Kirk Urso, and Michael Farfan have to find the back of the net more than just one time per game.

Not being able to score in regulation has to bring some frustration to the team. Scott Goodwin, doesn’t see it that way. According to him, there is no frustration, only confidence, since it has been the biggest indicator of why they haven’t lost yet.

Louisville Cardinals

Unknown Ground: For the first time in program history, the Cardinals are reaching the College Cup. In a university known for its basketball program, these players are pioneers, according to Head Coach Ken Lolla.




Then again, from the player’s mentality like Austin Berry, the boys in red are business as usual. An important factor in being on the spotlight for the first time is to not be blinded by it. An element that Lolla says has been dealt with in the Big East tournament, which is formatted very similar to the College Cup.

Between the Pipes: Andre Boudreaux has been phenomenal, only allowing 17 goals all season. However, with the tight defense North Carolina will try to implement, it will be no surprise if this game goes the distance. That leads to question. Will Andre be ready? He has not been tested a lot from the PK spot.

Perfection: Louisville is on the verge of something not seen in two decades: winning the national championship undefeated. As nice as it can be, it’s not a goal for either Coach Lolla not the players, with Austin adding that the season won’t be successful unless they win the title.