2010 NCAA College Cup Preview: The University of Louisville

Fanhouse begins its extensive coverage of the 2010 NCAA College Cup -- held this year at the University of California, Santa Barbara -- with a preview of each of the four tournament semifinalists. The early game will pit No. 1 seed Louisville against No. 4 UNC at 5:30 p.m. PT on Friday, while the late matchup will see No. 3 Akron take on No. 10 seed Michigan at 8 p.m. PT the same evening.

Santa Barbara, Calif. -- It's pretty easy to see why the University of Louisville is the No. 1 seed in the 2010 College Cup.

The Cardinals posted an impressive 16-0-3 record during the regular season to earn themselves the prestige of being the only unbeaten team in the entire NCAA tournament. They're also the only side of the four semifinalists to have won each of their first three tournament games without needing overtime or a penalty shootout.

Not too shabby.

"We feel so blessed and honored to be a part of college soccer's greatest weekend," head coach Ken Lolla said on Thursday. "We look forward to the matches this weekend."

The 2010 College Cup is Louisville's first foray into the NCAA Final Four, but the Cardinals are far from overwhelmed. In fact, Lolla and his boys are feeling quite confident after a Big East tournament that simulated what the team can expect in Santa Barbara.

"One of the blessings for us is the Big East tournament," Lolla said. "Over a weekend you have the best four teams and the format is similar [to the College Cup]. There's a purpose in what we do in the Big East. Visually, as well as the experience of it, you've been there before. It's about coming together and winning a tournament in a two-day, two-game tournament."

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/12/10/2010-ncaa-college-cup-preview-the-university-of-louisville/

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