University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Maryland
Tar Heels Fall Short In National Title Game
December 14, 2008 | Men's Soccer
Dec. 14, 2008
FRISCO, Texas - North Carolina's dramatic run through the NCAA Tournament fell just short of a national title with a 1-0 loss to Maryland Sunday in the championship match of the 2008 Men's Soccer College Cup at Pizza Hut Park. The Terrapins' Graham Zusi scored the lone goal of the game in the 67th minute to propel Maryland to its second national title in the last four seasons.
After winning four straight one-goal matches to reach the title game, the Tar Heels conclude their campaign with a 15-8-1 mark and the second-best postseason finish in program history. The Terps finish the season on a 16-game winning streak and with a 23-3-0 record. Sunday's final marked the first meeting of conference opponents in a men's soccer national title game.
"It was a hard game for us. We had a hard time finding a rhythm," said Carolina head coach Elmar Bolowich. "I thought that with the wind at our back that we would be able to do more. Congratulations to Maryland on winning the national championship, and congratulations to our guys, they left everything out on the field. I couldn't ask for more."
Zusi, who also scored the game-winner against St. John's Friday, struck from 18 yards at 66:10 to break the scoreless tie. The Terps' Jeremy Hall had an initial shot in the box that was blocked by Carolina's Eddie Ababio, and Zusi followed with a strike into the left side of the net from the center of the 18 for his sixth goal of the season.
The game-winning score was the first goal allowed by the Tar Heels in a span of 269:34, dating back to the third-round win over UIC.
Down a goal, the Tar Heels shifted defenders Sheanon Williams and Jordan Graye to the front in search of the equalizer. All-America midfielder Michael Callahan made a long run into the box and put Carolina's first shot on goal in the 71st minute, but Maryland keeper Zac MacMath turned it away to preserve the one-goal advantage.
All-ACC forward Brian Shriver, who had a game-high five shots on the afternoon, put a shot on goal in the final minute but MacMath made his second stop of the afternoon to end the threat. Carolina finished with a 14-10 edge in shots, including an 8-3 advantage in the second half, but the Tar Heels put just two on goal.
Junior goalkeeper Brooks Haggerty made four saves in the match and finished with 21 saves and just three goals allowed in five NCAA tourney matches. He was one of four Tar Heels to earn a spot on the College Cup all-tournament team. Shriver, midfielder Zach Loyd and forward Billy Schuler joined Haggerty with all-tournament honors.
After Carolina threatened with a Shriver blast from 20 yards in the ninth minute and back-to-back corner kicks in the 19th, Maryland pressured for much of the opening half. The Terps had three successive corners in the 24th minute, the second of which resulted in a near-post header from Jason Herrick that Haggerty snuffed. Herrick also put one in the back of the net in the 27th but was whistled for being offside.
Zusi followed with a free kick blast in the 38th minute that Haggerty punched out to keep the Terps off the board until Zusi converted in the 67th.
The first-half shot totals were fairly even with Maryland holding a 7-6 advantage, but the Terps put four of frame stopped by Haggerty. The Tar Heels were unable to put a shot on goal in the first 45 minutes.
The Tar Heels pressured in the early stages of the second half and nearly broke the ice when Zach Loyd headed a long free kick from Cameron Brown just to the left of the net in the 56th minute. Ten minutes later, Zusi found the back of the net for his second straight College Cup game-winner.
With the loss, UNC drops to 3-2-0 all-time in College Cup play, including 1-1-0 in the title game. The Tar Heels are 21-15-0 all-time in NCAA play.
