INDIANA (17-4-1) vs. MARYLAND (17-5-2)
Kickoff: Friday, Dec. 10, 5 pm PT/8 pm ET in Carson, Calif.
TV: ESPN2
Saturday, Men's College Cup MARYLAND-INDIANA (1-day delay), Noon ET.
STORYLINE
Familiar Territory: Indiana and Maryland are first and second, respectively, in College Cup appearances since 1996, the year MLS started. The Hoosiers are at the College Cup for a Division I record 17th time, while Maryland makes its third straight appearance and fourth in seven years. Indiana has six NCAA titles; Maryland has one, which it shared with Michigan State in 1968.
Under first-year head coach Mike Freitag, Indiana looks to repeat as national champion for the third time in team history. The man who built the IU program, Jerry Yeagley, announced before last season that it would be his last and the Hoosiers' retirement gift to him was a Cinderella-story championship run after a slow start.
Maryland missed its chance to face Indiana last year when it lost to St. John's in the semifinals. Indiana has won its only two meetings with Maryland: 1999 (1-0) and 2000 (2-1).
Maryland junior forward Jason Garey is the top scorer left in the tournament with 21 goals in 24 games, but Indiana held the nation's leading scorer, Tulsa's Ryan Pore, to just three shots in the Hoosiers' 4-0 quarterfinal victory.
STARS TO WATCH
BRIAN PLOTKIN: The Hoosiers' offensive catalyst wears No. 10 and has four goals, nine assists.
JASON GAREY & ABE THOMPSON: Maryland's strikers work well in tandem. Garey (21 goals) and Thompson (11) have scored more than half of Maryland's goals this year.
JACOB PETERSON: The big man up top for IU scored in each of the College Cup games last year and scored twice against Tulsa. He leads the team with 10 goals this season.
INDIANA PROBABLES
GOALIE
1 Jay Nolly SR Littleton, CO
DEFENDERS
2 Julian Dieterle SO Elgin, IL
4 Jed Zayner SO Orland Park, IL
14 Drew Moor JR Dallas, TX
MIDFIELDERS
5 Danny O'Rourke SR Columbus, OH
6 Jordan Chirico JR Conesus, N.Y.
8 John Michael Hayden SO Louisville, KY
10 Brian Plotkin JR Lisle, IL
7 Josh Tudela SO Evansville, IN
FORWARDS
9 Mike Ambersley JR Ballwin, MO
23 Jacob Peterson SO Portage, MI
KEY RESERVES
3 Pat Yates JR Fort Wayne, IN
16 Kevin Robson SO St. Peter's MO
20 Greg Stevning FR Indianapolis, IN
15 Charley Traylor FR Indianapolis, IN
22 Greg Badger SR Wilmette, IL
12 Chris Pomeroy JR Louisville, KY
MARYLAND PROBABLES
GOALKEEPERS
0 Noah Palmer SR Williamsburg, VA
DEFENDERS
19 David Glaudemans SO Bethesda, MD
4 Kenny Bertz JR Liberty Township, OH
2 Michael Dello-Russo JR Columbia, MD
6 Chris Lancos JR Middletown, N.J.
MIDFIELDERS
20 Domenic Mediate SR Southlake, TX
3 Ian Rodway SR Columbia, MD
7 Stephen King FR Medford, NJ
10 Maurice Edu FR Fontana, CA
FORWARDS
13 Abe Thompson SR Fairfax Station, VA
9 Jason Garey JR Gonzalez, LA
KEY RESERVES
5 A.J. Godbolt SO Austin, TX
8 Jason Arnold SR Fairfax Station, VA
DUKE (18-5-0) vs. UC SANTA BARBARA (20-2-1)
Kickoff: Friday, Dec. 10, 7:30 PT/10:30 pm ET in Carson, Calif.
TV: Saturday, DUKE-UC SANTA BARBARA (1-day delay), 11 p.m. ET
STORYLINE
Opposites impact: Starting five freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors and one senior, Duke fielded the youngest lineup, of any of the teams to make the Round of 16 this year. UC Santa Barbara, meanwhile, usually starts five seniors, three juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen. Duke starts six teenagers while UCSB starts seven 22-year-olds.
Duke's offense ranks third in the nation and tops among the 48 tournament teams, scoring an average of 2.57 goals per game. UCSB leads Division I with 14 shutouts and its defense rates fourth-best, allowing an average of just 0.54 goals a game.
UCSB is hoping to win its first national championship in any sport since 1979, when men's water polo won the title.
STARS
TONY LOCHHEAD: The New Zealand defender is a force on defense and on offense for the Gauchos. He organizes from central defense yet is tied for the team lead with eight assists. He has six caps for his country.
MICHAEL VIDEIRA: The freshman No. 10 is the hub of an incredibly well-balanced offense. Nine different Blue Devils have at least four goals this season; 10 have at least four assists, led by Videira's 14.
DREW McATHY: The program's all-time leading scorer has 50 career goals, 15 of them this season, but none yet in this NCAA tournament.
DUKE PROBABLES
GOALIE
1 Justin Trowbridge SR Tampa, FL
DEFENDERS
2 Tim Jepson FR Yorba Linda, CA
3 Danny Miller SO East Brunswick, NJ
16 Zachary Pope FR Round Rock, TX
8 Kyle Helton SO Alpharetta, GA
MIDFIELDERS
5 Blake Camp JR Danielsville, GA
7 Tomek Charowski FR Anderson, SC
10 Michael Videira FR Milford, MA
12 Chris Loftus SO Springfield, IL
24 Danny Kramer JR Plainview, NY
FORWARDS
11 Spencer Wadsworth FR Dallas, TX
KEY RESERVES
4 Paul Dudley FR Warminster, PA
13 Josh Swank SO San Antonio, TX
9 Owoicho Adogwa SR Trinidad & Tobago
17 Joe Kelly SR St. Louis, MO
6 Matt White SR Ellicott City, MD
20 Chase Perfect SO Durham, NC
15 Ryan Pascioni SO Lake Mary, FL
UC SANTA BARBARA PROBABLES
GOALIE
1 Dan Kennedy SR Yorba Linda, CA
DEFENDERS
5 Pat Scott JR Seattle, WA
15 Tony Lochead SR New Zealand
18 Andy Iro FR England
MIDFIELDERS
3 Greg Curry SO Sacramento, CA
7 Bryan Byrne JR Ireland
8 Matt Bly SR Santa Rosa, CA
17 Tyler Rosenlund FR Canada
20 Nate Boyden JR Davis, CA
FORWARDS
9 Neil Jones SR New Zealand
10 Drew McAthy SR Huntington Beach, CA
KEY RESERVES
16 Jonathan Davis JR Los Angeles, CA
24 Tino Nunez SO Long Beach, CA
6 Jon Apilado SR Fairfield, CA
12 Chris Hughes JR Benicia, CA
26 Ivan Becarra JR Los Angeles, CA
14 Corey Wood JR Danville, CA
FINAL:
SUNDAY, Dec. 12
ESPN2
Men's College Cup final (live), 4 p.m. ET.