The 2014 men's college season continued to roll along last week. Here's what went down:
BIG MEN ON CAMPUS
Danny Jensen, sophomore forward, Ohio State – When you play sports at Ohio State, the No. 1 rule is this: Beat Michigan.
Jensen can cross that particular item off his list, because even if he never plays against the Wolverines again – unlikely for a sophomore in the Big Ten – he got enough Michigan-slaying juju in this week to last a lifetime. Jensen got OSU’s week started off right on Wednesday by scoring 26 seconds into their match against U of M, a game that the Buckeyes would win 2-1. As fortune would have it, that result set up a rematch on Sunday in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, and once again OSU would emerge victorious, this time in a 1-0 result courtesy of, you guessed it, Danny Jensen.
Ricky Garbanzo, senior midfielder, Coastal Carolina – Garbanzo’s Chanticleers got their week started with a 1-1 draw against High Point, which is nothing to write home about, so we’re going to end the description of that game right…here. This will give us more space to talk about Coastal Carolina’s 7-0 rout of Big South opponents Longwood on Saturday, when Garbanzo scored his team’s first three goals in less than 42 minutes. Coastal will play Longwood in their first Big South tournament game this week, so get ready for more fireworks.
TOP 10 RANKINGS
1) Syracuse (15-2-1)
Duke got their week started off with a dramatic, come-from-behind double overtime win against NC State to advance to the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament. Yes, we’re talking about Duke in Syracuse’s blurb, but we’re trying to make a point. Namely: Duke is not a bad team, and they are certainly capable of getting results in big games. And yet, despite forcing goalkeeper Alex Bono into seven saves, the Blue Devils couldn’t conjure up a goal against the Orange, falling 2-0. Suffice it to say that Syracuse is playing some good soccer right now, which is good considering they have a rematch against Louisville coming up on Friday, with a chance to avenge a loss on the road earlier in the season.
2) Stanford (12-2-3)
There’s a new driver behind the wheel in the Pac-12. Stanford reeled off two massive conference wins this week, beating No. 3 Washington 2-0 on Friday and then finishing off with a 2-1 win against Oregon State. With a win on the road against Cal on Sunday – a big ask for any Cardinal squad, but within the realm of possibility – Stanford can sew up a conference title.
3) Charlotte (14-2-1)
Just one game this week for the 49ers, but it was a big one. Charlotte faced a must-win game against Conference USA rivals No. 13 Kentucky for the regular-season title, and despite giving up the opening goal in the ninth minute, at the end of the night it was mission accomplished for the Niners.
4) Creighton (14-2-2)
The Bluejays also had a fairly quiet week in terms of scheduling, but they made it count with a big win over No. 19 Providence. The 3-0 rout gave Creighton the Big East regular-season title and No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, and this awesome video of an epic celebration.
5) Notre Dame (11-4-3)
Earlier this season, Notre Dame couldn’t quite seal the deal on the road against Virginia in a 1-1 draw. In their ACC quarterfinal matchup on Sunday in Indiana, things went down slightly differently. The Fighting Irish put up a 3-0 win on the Cavaliers, though goalkeeper Patrick Wall was forced into eight saves. Notre Dame’s next stop will be Cary, North Carolina to face Clemson in the semifinals.
6) Georgetown (11-3-4)
The Hoyas finished off their regular season with a solid 2-1 win on the road against Villanova, capping off a four-game winning streak against Big East opponents. So far, so good, but Georgetown can’t rest on their laurels this week. The Hoyas face Marquette on Tuesday in the first round of the conference tournament, which is a pretty mouthwatering prospect for a neutral observer, if slightly hard on the two teams involved. Still, we like Georgetown so far.
7) Maryland (12-5-2)
Since losing to Northwestern on October 5, the Terrapins have rifled off nine straight wins, and won their first-ever Big Ten tournament game on Sunday by beating Rutgers 2-0. That result actually came days after beating the Scarlet Knights 3-2 in New Brunswick to capture the regular-season conference title. That's a pretty insane turnaround for Maryland considering that their record through their first 10 games was 3-5-2, but credit where credit is due. The Terps have finally figured it out, and they are a terrifying prospect heading into NCAA tournament season.
8) Washington (12-4-1)
The Huskies missed a big chance this week to put themselves back in pole position in the Pac-12 title race, but getting a split on a road trip to the Bay Area ain’t a bad result in the grand scheme of things. Also, beating Cal 3-2 is quite a good result in the grand scheme of things, particularly considering how much we fancied them heading into the week. A lot needs to go right for them to still have a chance at defending their conference crown, but things could definitely have gone worse this week for UW.
9) Michigan State (11-4-4)
After an abysmal 0-2-2 run in their previous four games, State headed into their Wednesday matchup with No. 2 Indiana in desperate need of a win. They got it, beating the Hoosiers 3-2 to finish off their regular season. The schedule didn’t let up any for the Spartans, who faced off against Penn State in their Big Ten tournament opener and came away with a 1-0 win over the No. 23 Nittany Lions.
10) UCLA (10-4-4)
UCLA didn’t play this week, so they’re going to stay right where they were last week. A win on Sunday against San Diego State combined with a Stanford loss to Cal would give the Bruins the Pac-12 title, so keep an eye out, everyone.
HIGHLIGHTS
Usually if you score five goals in two games, you will get favorable results. But there’s a reason why Cal is no longer in the Top 10, and it’s largely because their opponents this week managed to score seven goals in two games, handing the Golden Bears two defeats. The heartbreaker came on Friday, when Cal tied the game in the 88th minute, only to see Oregon State snatch the go-ahead goal in the 90th.
Northwestern’s regular season and Big Ten tournament are over after falling to Indiana on penalties this Sunday. But let’s give one last bit of love to Wildcats goalkeeper Tyler Miller, who both scored one of those penalties and also made a save in the shootout.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
Maryland vs. Michigan State, Friday, 3:30 pm ET (watch on BTN)
The Spartans escaped College Park earlier this season with a 1-0 win. The Terps are probably peeved about that. Also, the stakes are higher this time – and Maryland is playing better. This will be fascinating to watch.
Cal vs. Stanford, Sunday, 4 pm ET (watch on Pac-12 Networks)
They don’t give out the Axe for winning this one, but they might want to think about it. Stanford has a shot at the Pac-12 title at stake here, and Cal has the chance to ruin it for them. We’re thinking this will be a big game.
