Category: College Soccer Reporter

[MILESTONE] N.C. State men’s coach George Tarantini recorded his 200th career victory Wednesday afternoon when the Wolfpack downed visiting High Point, 5-0, at Method Road. The Argentine-born Tarantini is in his 22th year as the Wolfpack’s head coach. In his early years at N.C. State, the fiery Tarantini, whose younger brother Alberto played on Argentina’s 1978 World Cup championship team, built some of the most talented teams in the history of college soccer.

[WEDNESDAY ACTION] Jamaican youth international O’Brian White scored one goal and added two assists to lead second-ranked Connecticut to a 3-1 win over neighbor Hartford in men’s non-conference play. Ryan Miller sparked No. 3 Notre Dame in its 3-0 victory over No. 9 Michigan with two goals. Chris Pontius scored a hat trick to lead No. 12 UC Santa Barbara to a 4-0 win over UC Irvine before 4,402 fans, the largest midweek crowd of the season. Top 25 teams SMU, Indiana and Villanova also won.

Mark Buchholz should be applauded for his accomplishments as a two-sport star at Clemson. On most Friday nights, the Georgia native plays for the Tiger soccer team, for which he is a four-year starter. On Saturdays, he’s the field goal kicker on Tommy Bowden‘s football team. Problem is, recent misses on the gridiron have local pundits demanding that Buchholz quit soccer.

[TUESDAY ACTION] Freshman Aaron O’Neal‘s goal in the 63rd minute gave Boston University a 1-0 win at previously unbeaten Brown. The Bears’ loss leaves only three unbeaten Division I men’s teams: Wake Forest (7-0-1), Quinnipiac (5-0-1) and Michigan State (6-0-2).

[TUESDAY ACTION] In just his second game back after missing the first seven games of the year with a fractured metatarsal, David Estrada, the 2006 Soccer America Freshman of the Year, scored to give UCLA a 1-0 victory over visiting San Diego.

[ANALYSIS] Cal State Northridge’s 3-0 victory over UCLA on Saturday summed up the state of affairs this fall in the Far West men’s soccer. Northridge’s convincing victory kept the Big West unbeaten in meetings with Pac-10 schools. Indeed, the Big West’s overall record in non-conference games is the best of the four Far West Division I men’s conferences.

[SMALL COLLEGE] For the first time in its history, Northern Kentucky is the top-ranked NCAA Division II men’s team in the NSCAA/adidas rankings. The Norse has combined a stingy defense and timely scoring to move into first place in the tough Great Lakes Valley Conference.

All-American Julius James, who led No. 2 Connecticut to Big East victories over St. John’s (3-0) and Syracuse (1-0), is the Soccer America Men’s Player of the Week for games played Sept. 24-30.

A pair of Big East freshmen — Andre Mittoo of South Florida and Sean Mergenthal of Villanova — are among the players named to the Soccer America Men’s Team of the Week for games played Sept. 24-30.

Salve Regina’s men’s program has been suspended for five games as a result of an unspecified violation of department policies.