Post Game Notes

Dec. 11, 2010

Game Notes

This was the first-ever meeting between Louisville and North Carolina.
North Carolina's loss means a non-Atlantic Coast Conference team will win the NCAA title for the first time since 2006. ACC schools have captured the last three crowns.

Louisville Notes

Louisville advances to the first NCAA Championship match in program history.
Now 20-0-3, this is Louisville's first 20-win season.
Louisville has a chance to be the first team to win the National Championship and go undefeated since Santa Clara accomplished the feat in 1989.
Freshman forward Aaron Horton scored the a last-minute game winning goal for a second straight match, as he also notched the clincher for U of L in its 5-4 Quarterfinal triumph over UCLA. It was Horton's third goal of the season, all of which have come in the postseason (first career goal was in the BIG EAST Quarterfinals vs. West Virginia).
Junior defender Austin Berry's 58th-minute goal was his fifth of the season and second of the NCAA Tournament (also scored in Sweet 16 vs. Ohio State). All five of his goals in 2010 have been scored via headers.
Should Akron prevail in the second semifinal, it will pit Cardinal head coach Ken Lolla against his former school. Lolla left Akron after the 2005 season, and was replaced by Caleb Porter.

North Carolina Notes

The Tar Heels, appearing in their third straight College Cup, fell in the National Semifinals for the second consecutive year. UNC reached the 2008 title match where it fell to Maryland, 1-0, then lost to Akron last year on penalty kicks.
In his final career match, senior defender Eddie Ababio became UNC's all-time leader in career caps with 89.
Senior midfielder Stephen McCarthy's header in the 61st minute was his second of the season, the other coming back in UNC's second game of the season on Sept. 5 vs. Seton Hall.
The last time North Carolina surrendered two goals in a match was on Sept. 28 at Old Dominion, a 2-1 loss.
After going on a 12-match unbeaten streak, UNC finished the season 0-2-3 (advancing on penalty kicks in the NCAA tournament is listed as a draw on a team's record).

University of Louisville Athletics