Welcome to MLS On Campus, our weekly look at the goings-on in the college game. Every Monday, we'll give you the week's best highlight, the standout players, which games to watch in the week ahead and, of course, our national Top 10 list.
After all, the SuperDraft is only a few months away...
Big Men on Campus
Georgetown senior Andy Riemer – The Hoyas are off to their best start in team history at 5-0-1 through six games and they owe a big part of that to the senior midfielder. Georgetown battled back from 2-0 down against UIC last Friday with Riemer tying the game in the 79th minute and scoring from 25 yards out to end the game with a golden goal in the 97th minute.
Old Dominion junior Tim Hopkinson – Hopkinson, a junior from Nottingham, England, had three goals and two assists, all in the second half of a 6-0 thrashing of Seton Hall on Friday night. He followed it up with a goal and two assists vs. Winthrop on Sunday to earn MVP honors at the Stihl Classic. His ODU Monarchs are in the top 10 of many polls with an undefeated 4-0-0 record and 15 goals scored.
UCLA junior Max Estrada – The brother of Seattle Sounders forward David Estrada, Max transferred to his brother’s alma mater this season and has certainly made a big impact in a short amount of time. Max came off the bench to score game-winning goals in both of UCLA’s wins this weekend including an acrobatic 87th minute side-volley to down UC Irvine.
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<strong>Last </strong> |
<strong>College</strong> |
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<strong>1</strong> |
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<strong>1</strong> |
<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>UNC<br><span style="font-size:12px;">(4-0-0)</span></strong></span> |
<p>The Tar Heels roll on with another solid 2-0 win this past weekend over a Virginia Tech side that had won three games in a row. Senior Martin Murphy (pictured above) scored a sensational two-minute double-strike, chipping the Tech 'keeper before blasting a 30-yard free kick into goal. </p> |
<strong>2</strong> |
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<strong>4</strong> |
<strong style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center; ">Creighton<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(4-0-1)</span></strong> |
<p>The Blue Jays headed to Northern California for games against Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s, and came back to the Midwest with two 1-0 shutout victories. They have three straight shutouts with just two goals allowed in five games this season. </p> |
<strong>3</strong> |
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<strong>5</strong> |
<strong style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center; ">Maryland<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(3-0-1)</span></strong> |
<p>The Terps opened ACC conference play at Boston College on Friday night, thumping the Eagles 4-0. Senior center back London Woodberry, an FC Dallas Academy product, leads a Maryland defense with two straight shutouts while their senior midfield engine, John Stertzer, is certainly on most MLS radars. </p> |
<strong>4</strong> |
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<strong>(UR)</strong> |
<strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; ">Notre Dame<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(5-0-0)</span></strong> |
<p>What a weekend for the Fighting Irish. Wins over previously unbeaten Oregon State and Akron have the Irish shooting up the charts. Sophomore midfielder/defender Nick Besler, highly rated brother of SKC defender Matt Besler, has played all but three minutes so far this season. </p> |
<strong>5</strong> |
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<strong>2</strong> |
<strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; ">Akron<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(3-1-1)</span></strong> |
<p>The Zips had probably the toughest weekend of anyone in the country, facing Indiana and Notre Dame. They beat the Hoosiers 1-0 behind a goal from junior Eric Stevenson, but were taught a lesson on Sunday losing 3-1 after junior midfielder Aodhan Quinn was shown red midway through the first half. Don’t miss their match against undefeated St. John’s on Fox Soccer this Friday night.</p> |
<strong>6</strong> |
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<strong>6</strong> |
<strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; ">New Mexico<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(3-1-0)</span></strong> |
<p>In soggy Albuquerque, the Lobos dispatched of a good UAB side 2-0. Look out for senior attacking midfielder Nik Robson, a New Zealand youth international who transferred to New Mexico for his senior season after scoring 28 goals in three impressive years at Central Florida.</p> |
<strong>7</strong> |
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<strong>8</strong> |
<strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; ">UCLA<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(3-1-1)</span></strong> |
<p>The Bruins broke UC Irvine hearts on Sunday, scoring twice in the last 10 minutes to come from behind and win 2-1. They notched a nice 1-0 win over Tulsa on Friday and now have three wins in a row after a rough start. Look out for junior midfielder Victor Muñoz, a Spaniard who spent nearly a decade with Real Madrid as a youth and bossed the UCLA midfield in the win over Tulsa. </p> |
<strong>8</strong> |
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<strong>3</strong> |
<strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; ">South Florida<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(4-1-0)</span></strong> |
<p>USF was shut out 1-0 by an average South Carolina Gamecocks side on Friday night, dropping them in the rankings. A 2-1 win over Iona on Saturday sees them hang onto their spot for now with a chance to impress against Butler and Akron next weekend. </p> |
<strong>9</strong> |
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<strong>9</strong> |
<strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; ">UCSB<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(3-0-1)</span></strong> |
<p>Senior Nic Ryan had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 comeback victory over Valparaiso. The Gauchos then faced off against Liga MX side Pachuca on Sunday morning, dropping a 5-3 result.</p> |
<strong>10</strong> |
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<strong>7</strong> |
<strong style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px; ">UConn<br><span style="font-size: 12px; ">(4-0-1)</span></strong> |
<p>Max Wasserman earned the Huskies an overtime victory over Washington, but a 1-1 draw vs. Boston University sees the Huskies drop in the hyper-competitive top 10. Only two of their five games have been won in regulation. </p> |
Highlight of the Week
UConn senior right back Wasserman’s overtime free-kick golden goal against Washington is worth watching multiple times … and it’s not his first one, either.
What to Watch For:
Akron vs. St. John’s (Friday, 7 pm ET, Fox Soccer)
St. Johns is quietly 5-0-1 on the season, but they’ll have a shot to prove themselves in front of a national audience on Friday night as they travel to Ohio to face Caleb Porter and the Zips in the NSCAA Game of the Week. Practically every player you’ll see on Akron has a possible MLS future, either through the draft or via Homegrown signings, while Red Storm senior English midfielder Jack Bennett has a real shot at going in the early rounds of the 2013 SuperDraft.
Maryland at NC State (Friday, 7 pm ET)
The first Division 1 program to notch a perfect 6-0-0 record is the NC State Wolfpack, but they have yet to beat a top 25-ranked opponent. They’ll host No. 3 Maryland on Friday night in Raleigh with a chance to shoot up the national rankings in their ACC opener.
