Dec. 14, 2001
COLUMBUS, OHIO- Stanford men's soccer team saw its impressive season come to an end Friday night, falling 3-2 in four overtimes to North Carolina in the NCAA College Cup semifinals. The Cardinal, who were making just their second appearance at soccer's version of the Final Four and bidding for its first national title, complete their season at 19-2-1-- the best overall record in men's soccer history.
After both teams battled for 135 minutes, North Carolina's Mike Gell took a pass the length of the field and chipped a shot over Stanford netminder Andrew Terris (Newton, Mass.) and two Cardinal defenders for the game-winning score.
The Tar Heels were down 2-0 with ten minutes remaining, but scored twice in in a two-minute span to send the match into overtime. The three goals were the most Stanford had given up all season, and just the second time the team had allowed two scores.
Playing in 40 degree-weather and howling, brisk winds, the teams took the pitch for the first of two semifinal matches on the evening. North Carolina came close on several corner kick opportunities in the opening half, but to no avail. After senior Derek Shanahan (St. Charles, Ill.) came close to putting the ball in the net in the 24th minute before his shot glanced off the goalpost, the Cardinal broke through. Senior Matt Moses (Laguna Beach, Calif.) would set up the first score of the game, sending a corner kick to junior Todd Dunivant (Wheat Ridge, Col.) who arched a shot past the goalie from 20 yards out and give the Cardinal a 1-0 lead. The Cardinal would outshoot the Tar Heels 8-5 in the first half, as Stanford received excellent production from an attacking-minded midfield.
Both teams had chances immediately following the start of the second half, but both defenses would stand strong. In the 76th minute, the Cardinal added an insurance tally when Moses fired a shot off the post which was recovered by junior Roger Levesque (Portland, Maine), who unleashed a strike into the lower corner past North Carolina keeper Michael Ueltschey. The score gave the Cardinal a 2-0 advantage with under 15 minutes remaining in the game.
North Carolina (20-4-0) would bounce back, as forward David Testo spun around two defenders and put a left-footed shot from 25 yards out just inside the far post past Terris' outstretched fingers to make it 2-1 in the 81st minute. One minute later, Noz Yamauchi sent a pass into the box off a set play and David Stokes' header hit the crossbar and Matt Crawford knocked in the rebound to tie it in the 82nd minute. The game would remain deadlocked at 2-2 into the first overtime.
The Cardinal dominated the first three overtime sessions, outshooting the Tar Heels by a 13-5 count. Freshman Darren Fernandez (Benoni, South Africa) had a chance to win the game in the second overtime when he dribbled the ball into the box and issued a pass to junior Johanes Maliza (Chicago, Ill.), whose shot hit the post from three yards out. In the third overtime, Dunivant dished the ball to an open Levsque, but his header soared just over the net and the match would enter its fourth extra-period session.
North Carolina's Gell then found the net in the 136th minute for the win.
Stanford keeper Terris made five saves in the effort, playing the entire 135:59. The match also marked the end of stellar careers for Cardinal seniors Aaron Biddle (Bordentown, N.J.), Matt Moses, Derek Shanahan, Travis James (Roseville, Calif.), Alan Resnikoff (La Jolla, Calif.) and 2001 Hermann Trophy and Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year nominee Lee Morrison (Carmichael, Calif.).
Cardinal first-year coach Bret Simon, the 2001 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, became the first coach to lead two different schools to the College Cup in consecutive years after leading Creighton to the finals in 2000.
Scoring Summary: STAN- Dunivant (Moses) 24:52, STAN- Levesque (Moses) 76:38, UNC- Testo (unassisted) 80:31, UNC- Crawford (unassisted) 81:35, UNC- Gell (unassisted) 135:59.
Shots: Stanford 30, North Carolina 21.
Corners: North Carolina 5, Stanford 3.
Saves: North Carolina 6, Stanford 5.
Fouls: North Carolina 10, Stanford 10.