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By Andrew Melnykovych
The University of Louisville men’s soccer team takes up where if left off last season, pursuing another NCAA College Cup attempt Sunday evening when it hosts No. 22 Bradley in a first-ever official meeting between the two teams. The Cards took a 1-0 win in a 2009 preseason exhibition.
Bradley is coming off a 2-1 first-round victory over Loyola-Chicago.
But the Cards are a deserved favorite, a fact reflected in their #12 overall seeding. They played a much tougher schedule in a tougher conference. All seven of the Big East teams making the 48-team field are still alive, three by virtue of first-round wins, four, including the Cards, thanks to first-round byes as seeded teams.
The weather forecast is for rain and possibly storms. As anyone who witnessed UofL’s run to the NCA final last year can attest, the weather doesn’t matter once NCAA play begins – either in attendance or results. Ought to be another capacity crowd to push the Cards on to the next round.
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With a 2-0 upset of previously undefeated Memphis, at Memphis, no less, the UofL women’s soccer team is only two games away from an unprecedented trip to the College Cup.
Standing in the way Sunday is ACC champion Florida State, the top seed in the region. The match is at Memphis.
And there’s a delicious irony in that. Former UofL goalie Taylor Vancil transferred to FSU last season, leaving the position to Chloe Kiefer who never got on the field in 2008 or 2009. Kiefer has been marvelous this season.
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