Slugs get title shot

Friday, November 26

Greensboro, NC

UC Santa Cruz Athletics

Geneseo St.

11/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

SENTINEL STAFF REPORT

The UC Santa Cruz men's soccer team will take a shot at a national title today after Friday's 3-1 win over Geneseo State in an NCAA Division III semifinal match in Greensboro, N.C. The Banana Slugs (21-1-1) advance to the 2 p.m. championship game against Messiah, a 1-0 winner Friday over Salisbury. Geneseo State played an unusual defensive style Friday, a tight man- marking system.

"It was a little bit different than anything we had seen before," said UCSC coach Paul Holocher by phone. "Every forward was marked up by a defender. Every midfielder was marked by a midfielder."

UCSC tried to attack one-on-one matchups with the dribble, and Holocher said it took 20 minutes before his team began executing. Matt Marquess put UCSC on the board in the 21st minute. Alex Tocco earned the assist on the play. UCSC had other chances but led just 1-0 at the intermission despite a 10-2 shot advantage. Bryan Baird extended the Slugs' lead to 2-0 in the 57th minute with a give-and-go play from Jimmy Anderson. Freshman Zach Migdal sparked the third goal with a long cross that led to a Geneseo State own goal. The Knights got on the board late in the match when first-year Patrick Occhiuto took a through ball from senior David Fink and blasted a shot off the goalkeeper's hands for the lone Geneseo (17-5-2) goal.

The UCSC tennis team has won four national championships under coach Bob Hansen. A victory today would be the first national title for the UCSC soccer program, or for any UCSC program other than tennis. "This is historic," Holocher said. "We want to win one for UC Santa Cruz, and for the people from Santa Cruz."

Holocher said the trip has been first-class. Events included a dinner banquet Thursday night-in which senior Eric Bucchere spoke to all of the teams involved in an emotional, powerful moment. "He absolutely wowed the crowd. He blew the house away," Holocher said. "I'm so happy for the young men in the program that they get to experience the big-time at the college level." Holocher said he estimated that 100 fans made the trip across country for Friday's day-after-Thanksgiving semifinal.

Messiah College (21-2) from Pennsylvania won national championships in 2000 and 2002. Holocher scouted Messiah's game Friday. "They're established as one of the elite programs in the country," Holocher said. "They play a smart, attractive attacking style. Their work rate and their effort is phenomenal. They're clearly the best team we've seen all year." Holocher said he's ready to take his chances with the Slugs. "It's a great matchup. It's a terrific matchup. Messiah, being a two-time national champion, has to be the favorite. But we feel we have the ability to beat them."