Providence Prepped For NCAA Quarterfinals On Friday
NEW YORK – And then there was one. The Providence Friars are the final BIG EAST men’s soccer team left standing in a field of eight after advancing to the NCAA Quarterfinals with a 2-1 win at Creighton on Nov. 26 in an all-BIG EAST NCAA Third Round.
The Friars are on a three-game winning streak heading into the Quarterfinals against No. 9 seed North Carolina, nationally ranked 10th in the last NSCAA Top 25 poll. Game time is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2. The match will be played at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, N.C. and will stream on ESPN3.
Providence handed Creighton just its second loss in Omaha last Saturday as the Friars went 2-1 against the Blueyas in 2016. The 23rd-ranked Bluejays had previously knocked the Friars out of the BIG EAST playoffs defeating Providence on their home pitch in the semifinals.
Providence had the biggest upset of the second round, winning 5-4 over the No. 1 seed and previously unbeaten Maryland Terrapins. The Friars were down 4-1 with 20 minutes left and rallied with two goals scored within 30 seconds. Freshman defender Joao Serrano scored the eventual game-winner in the 82nd minute. Three goals scored in the rally were by first time goal scorers for the Friars.
Providence’s appearance in the quarterfinals is the second in program history.
The BIG EAST has had a team in the Quarterfinals in three-straight years. Creighton was the league’s rep in 2014 and 2015. Georgetown and Providence were also in the final eight in 2014 as the BIG EAST made up three eighths of the quarterfinal field.
NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals
Friday, Dec. 2
Matchup: Providence (15-6-0) at No. 9 seed North Carolina (13-3-3)
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Live Stats: http://www.ncaa.com/game/soccer-men/d1/2016/12/02/providence-north-carolina
Live Video: ESPN3
Notes: Providence and UNC have played each other just once before. The Tar Heels defeated the Friars in 2005 in the NCAA Tournament Second Round, 2-0. Both UNC and Providence were at-large bids in the championship. Providence is on a three-game winning streak knocking off Delaware, top seed Maryland and BIG EAST rival Creighton en route to the Quarterfinals. UNC holds a 13-3-3 overall record, 9-3 at home. The Tar Heels have outscored their opponents 37-10 this season with 11 clean sheets. UNC had a bye in the first round as the No. 9 seed and defeated Florida Gulf Coast, 3-2 in double overtime and No. 8 seed Syracuse, 1-0 en route to Friday’s match. The Friars are 1-0 in the NCAA Quarterfinals, with their last appearance in the 2014 tournament. Providence is 9-6-1 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, 6-2-1 under head coach Craig Stewart.
In the NCAA Championship: Second Meeting, North Carolina won 2-0 (2005)
All-Time Record: North Carolina leads the series 1-0