Tar Heels Down No. 1 Wake Forest To Advance To Title Game
Senior forward Brian Shriver found the back of the net in the fourth minute and junior goalkeeper Brooks Haggerty followed with a career-best seven saves to lead No. 13 seed North Carolina past No. 1 seed Wake Forest, 1-0, Friday in the first of two national semifinals at the 2008 NCAA Men's Soccer College Cup at Pizza Hut Park. With the win, the Tar Heels (15-7-1) advance to play for their second national title against either Maryland or St. John's at 1 p.m. Eastern Sunday on ESPN2.

Thanks to the stellar play of Haggerty and the Carolina back four, the defending champion Demon Deacons (21-2-1) were shut out for just the second time this season after scoring 12 goals over their last two postseason victories. With the seven saves, Haggerty posted his third shutout of the postseason.

The Tar Heels were the aggressors early, netting their quickest goal of the season on Shriver's 14th score at the 3:56 mark. Midfielder Zach Loyd made a run up the right side, found Shriver in the box, and the Clearwater, Fla., product hammered home a header from eight yards into the left side of the net for all the offense Carolina would need. Wake Forest keeper Akira Fitzgerald got a hand on the ball but was unable to come up with the save.

Zusi's Game-Winner in Second Overtime Lifts Terps to Title Game
Senior midfielder Graham Zusi scored the game-winner with six minutes remaining in the second overtime period to send the Maryland men's soccer team to the national championship game with a win over St. John's, 1-0, on Friday in the 2008 Men's College Cup at Pizza Hut Park.

The Terps applied significant pressure up front for the majority of the first half, outshooting the Red Storm, 4-2, in the period. Zusi got Maryland's first good look when he attempted a mid-range strike that was blocked by the St. John's backline at 14:34. The first shot on goal for the Terps came less than two minutes later when Jason Herrick served a ball to Casey Townsend who quick-fired the ball right at Red Storm keeper Neal Kitson. Herrick broke open again with the half winding down at 39:21, but his shot went directly into a sprawled out Kitson approximately 12-yards out.

Maryland was the first squad to strike in the second half as well after Zusi tallied his second shot of the night just inside the box. His shot at 50:21 was subsequently knocked out by Kitson and a rebound attempt by Herrick went across the box and just wide of the post to keep the game scoreless. Zusi took Maryland's eighth shot of the contest eight minutes later but it grazed off of Kitson, hit the far post, and trickled out of play. The Terps continued to pepper shots at the St. John's defense only to be denied by Kitson, who racked up eight saves in the second half alone. Maryland outshot St. John's, 12-1, in the period and continuously maintained possession of the ball. It was only the second time this season that the Terps were held without a score through ninety minutes of play.