2014 Louisville Men's Soccer Season Review
December 17, 2014 | Men's Soccer
Senior Daniel Keller closed his career with 62 collegiate starts while playing in 74 matches.
• 2014 Louisville Men's Soccer Match Notes (Season Review) 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Advancing to the round of 16 of the NCAA Championship for the fourth time in the last five seasons, the University of Louisville men's soccer team ended its 2014 season with an 11-8-3 record overall. The Cardinals, seeded 13th nationally entering the tournament, was eliminated in the third round with a 1-0 loss to UMBC at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium. Overall, Louisville advanced to the NCAA Championship for the eighth straight season while also hosting postseason matches for the fifth straight year.
INAUGURAL ACC CAMPAIGN SUCCESSFUL FOR LOUISVILLE
Competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time, Louisville represented itself well highlighted by advancing to the title match of the ACC Championship. After finishing with a 4-3-1 record in the Atlantic Division to earn the No. 6 seed in the post-season tournament, the Cardinals earned a 1-0 victory over North Carolina in a quarterfinal match in Chapel Hill. Following a 2-1 win over No. 2 seed and top-ranked Syracuse in the semifinals, Louisville was moments away from winning the ACC title when Clemson scored with just two seconds left in regulation to send the match into overtime, where they eventually won 2-1.
CARDINALS SAY GOODBYE TO FIVE SENIORS
With the conclusion of the 2014 season, the Louisville men's soccer program officially said goodbye to its five seniors -- Santiago Vélez, Nolan Moore, Joachim Ball, Will Vitalis and Daniel Keller. The group was honored in a ceremony prior to the Cardinals' home conference finale against Clemson on Oct. 24 at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium.
ACC LEADS THE WAY ON THE PITCH
Virginia won its seventh NCAA title while ACC teams have won 17 national championships overall, including seven of the last 10. The ACC led all conferences with seven teams (Clemson, Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Virginia, Wake Forest) in the 2014 NCAA Championship field, the second highest total in conference history. Louisville was among five ACC schools selected as seeded teams (No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 7 Clemson, No. 9 Syracuse, No.16 Virginia), the most of any league this season.
Freshman Tim Kubel was the ACC Freshman of the Year while scoring a team-high seven goals.
CARDINALS' NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP PROFILE
Louisville's push for a 16 top seed in the 2014 NCAA Championship was a successful one after ranking 15th in the official RPI used by the NCAA selection committee to determine the field of 48 teams. Louisville played nine matches against Top 25 RPI foes (4-4-1) and was 5-3-2 in its last 10 matches entering the tournament.
LOUISVILLE NOTES AND TRENDS...
• Prior to 2014, three other Louisville teams earned top 16 national seeds -- No. 1 in 2010, No. 12 in 2011 and No. 10 in 2012.
• The Cardinals played 12 teams in this year's NCAA Championship field in the regular season and was 6-6-2 in those 14 matches.
• Louisville entered the NCAA Championship having played six straight matches and nine of its last 10 matches against NCAA qualifiers.
• Freshman Tim Kubel led Louisville with seven goals in 2014, including three game-winners.
• Senior defender Daniel Keller started all 22 matches on the Cardinals' backline in 2014. He had 62 career starts and 74 match appearances for Louisville.
LOUISVILLE'S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
Making its eighth straight appearance in the NCAA Championship, Louisville moved to 10-8-1 all-time in the tournament with one College Cup appearance (2010) following the loss to UMBC.
2014 (1-1-0)
11/23 - 2nd Round vs. Saint Louis (Louisville, Ky.) - W, 2-1
11/30 - 3rd Round vs. UMBC (Louisville, Ky.) - L, 1-0
2013 (0-1-1)
11/21 - 1st Round vs. Denver (Louisville, Ky.) - T, 0-0 (2OT)
11/24 - 2nd Round at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.) - L, 1-0 (2OT)
2012 (2-1)
11/18 - 2nd Round vs. Winthrop (Louisville, Ky.) - W, 5-0
11/25 - 3rd Round vs. Northwestern (Louisville, Ky.) - W, 2-1
12/01 - Quarterfinal at Maryland (College Park, Md.) - L, 3-1
2011 (2-1)
11/20 - 2nd Round vs. Bradley (Louisville, Ky.) - W, 3-2 (2OT)
11/27 - 3rd Round at Maryland (College Park, Md.) - W, 4-2
12/03 - Quarterfinal vs. UCLA (Louisville, Ky.) - L, 1-0 (2OT)
2010 (4-1)
11/21 - 2nd Round vs. College of Charleston (Louisville, Ky.) - W, 3-1
11/28 - 3rd Round vs. Ohio State (Louisville, Ky.) - W, 2-1
12/04 - Quarterfinal vs. UCLA (Louisville, Ky.) - W, 5-4
12/10 - College Cup Semifinal vs. North Carolina (Santa Barbara, Calif.) - W, 2-1
12/12 - College Cup Final vs. Akron (Santa Barbara, Calif.) - L, 1-0
2009 (0-1)
11/19 - 1st Round at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.) - L, 2-0
2008 (0-1)
11/21 - 1st Round vs. Jacksonville (Louisville, Ky.) - L, 4-3 (OT)
2007 (1-1)
11/23 - 1st Round vs. Duke (Louisville, Ky.) - W, 1-0
11/28 - 2nd Round at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio) - L, 1-0
Junior Ben Strong earned All-ACC and All-Region honors in his first season at Louisville.
CARDINALS CLOSE SEASON IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
Following the season, Louisville was ranked 18th in the final NSCAA Top 25 released on Dec. 16. After rising as highly as No. 2 in the nation early in the season, Louisville fell out of the national rankings on Oct. 14 following a four-match losing skid. The time out of the top 25 was short-lived as the Cardinals returned to the Soccer America poll on Oct. 21 at No. 11. The Cardinals opened the season with a 1-0 win over then-No. 2 Maryland and then made a big move in the rankings replacing the Terrapins as the No. 2 ranked team in the NSCAA Top 25 on Sept. 2. The No. 2 national ranking was the highest for Louisville since opening the 2011 season ranked No. 1. The Cardinals were also ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2010 before closing the season as NCAA runner-up after reaching the College Cup title game.
KUBEL NAMED ACC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR; STRONG, VELAZCO ADD ALL-ACC HONORS
Louisville defender Tim Kubel was named 2014 ACC Freshman of the Year while junior midfielder Ben Strong and junior forward Ricardo Velazco earned All-ACC honors during the Cardinals' inaugural season in the conference. The Louisville trio was among the numerous award winners announced by the ACC on Nov. 13 on the eve of the conference semifinals. Along with being named as the ACC Freshman of the Year, Kubel was also named to the All-ACC Second Team and was a member of the ACC All-Freshman Team. Strong was selected to the All-ACC First Team, while Velazco was named All-ACC Third Team in a vote of the league's 12 head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own players.
Kubel started all 22 games for the Cardinals, tallying a team-leading seven goals and five assists for 19 points in his rookie campaign. Louisville's right back throughout the season scored three game-winning goals. It is the third straight season and the sixth time in the last seven seasons a Louisville player has earned a major conference award.
In his first season playing for the Cardinals after transferring from Virginia Tech, Strong scored 14 points, third most on the team in 2014. Overall, Strong had five goals and added four assists, highlighted by his two-goal performance against Duke on Sept. 13. Strong started 21 of Louisville's 22 matches this season with all of those coming in the attacking midfield.
Velazco earned all-conference honors for a second straight season after scoring four goals with three assists while starting 16 of 17 regular season matches in 2014. Highlighted by a pair of goals in the Cardinals' win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 26, Velazco has 13 career goals in his two seasons in Louisville.
More than 46,000 fans attended matches in 2014 at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium.
LOUISVILLE LEADS NATION IN TOTAL ATTENDANCE IN FIRST SEASON AT LYNN STADIUM
After entering the season with great excitement for the move to the ACC and the opening of the nation's most spectacular collegiate soccer facility, Louisville fans responded by packing Lynn Stadium for the Cardinals in 2014. Louisville led the nation in total attendance as 46,433 fans attended the Cardinals' 13 home matches this season. With an average of 3,572, Louisville ranked second nationally in per match attendance while the season was highlighted by the 7,047 fans for the opening-night victory over Maryland.
KUBEL, STRONG EARN NSCAA ALL-SOUTH REGION HONORS
Louisville freshman defender Tim Kubel was named First Team All-South Region by the NSCAA while junior midfielder Ben Strong was a Third Team selection. Kubel led the Cardinals with seven goals and added five assists while starting all 22 matches in his first collegiate season. Selected as the 2014 ACC Freshman of the Year as well as an All-ACC Second Team honoree, Kubel scored three game-winning goals this season and was 3-for-3 on penalty kicks. In his first season playing for the Cardinals after transferring from Virginia Tech, Strong scored five goals and added four assists in 21 starts. Highlighted by his two-goal performance against Duke on Sept. 13, Strong was an All-ACC First Team selection in 2014.
VELAZCO SCORES FOUR GOALS IN THREE-MATCH STRETCH
After not scoring a goal in each of the Cardinals' first four matches of 2014, junior Ricardo Velazco found his scoring form in September connecting for four goals in three-match stretch from Sept. 19-26, including two goals in the win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 26. Overall, Velazco was second on the team in 2014 with six goals to go along with five assists. Last season, Velazco, led the Cardinals with seven goals and nine assists while starting all 20 matches.
STRONG PROVIDES OFFENSIVE PUNCH IN FIRST SEASON
In his first season in the Louisville uniform, junior Ben Strong has given the Cardinals an offensive boost with 13 points, which ranks second on the team in 2014. A transfer from Virginia Tech, Strong has five goals and four assists, highlighted by his two-goal performance against Duke on Sept. 13. Strong started 21 of Louisville's 22 matches this season in the attacking midfield.
Senior Joachim Ball closed with career with 15 shutouts, including six in 2014.
BALL NAMED SECOND TEAM ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA
Senior goalkeeper Joachim Ball was selected as a Capital One Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Nov. 25. A second team Academic All-America honoree, Ball (Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany) was the first Louisville player to earn Academic All-America accolades since Phil Edginton was tabbed as a First Team NSCAA Academic All-American in 2009. In the classroom, Ball completed his degree in accounting in May with a 3.97 GPA and is currently working towards his MBA. On the pitch, Ball had six shutouts this season while starting 21 matches and ranked third in career shutouts at Louisville with 15 in his three seasons. Last season, Ball finished with eight shutouts, ranked 15th nationally in goals against average at 0.688 and was a key player as Louisville set school records for consecutive minutes played without allowing a goal (560) and consecutive shutouts with five.
KUBEL EARNS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS ON OCT. 21
Freshman defender Tim Kubel earned a pair of honors on Oct. 21 when he was named ACC Player of the Week as well as the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Player of the Week. Kubel scored two goals and added an assist as UofL won both of its matches that week, including a 2-1 overtime win over No. 2 Syracuse. On the season, Kubel leads the Cardinals with six goals, including two game-winners. He's also 3-for-3 on penalty kicks in his first collegiate season.
STRONG NAMED ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK ON SEPT. 16
Ben Strong was chosen as Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Soccer Co-Player of the Week on Sept. 16 sharing the honor with Clemson forward Kyle Murphy. Strong scored two goals as the Cardinals blanked visiting Duke 5-0 in the ACC opener at Lynn Stadium. The goals were the first in a Louisville uniform for Strong, who is in his first season with the Cardinals after transferring from Virginia Tech.
With Louisville already leading Duke by a 1-0 score, Strong pushed the advantage to 2-0 in the sixth minute when he controlled a deflected cross from the right side and scored from 12 yards out. The native of Mendham, New Jersey, later added another score for the Cardinals who remained unbeaten at home in 2014. It marked the second time this season a Louisville player has earned the weekly ACC award as sophomore Andrew Brody was tabbed on Sept. 2.
BRODY CHOSEN AS ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK ON AUG. 29
Sophomore midfielder Andrew Brody was named as the ACC Men's Soccer Player of the Week on Sept. 2 after leading the nationally ranked Cardinals to a victory over No. 2 Maryland on Aug. 29.
Brody headed in the only goal of the match in the 54th minute to lift the Cardinals to a 1-0 victory over the Terrapins in the season-opener for both clubs. Brody received a cross from Ricardo Velazco and sent it into the upper left corner of the net for the decisive goal, the fourth career tally for the native of Orlando, Fla. Also on Sept. 2, Brody was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week for his work in the triumph over Maryland.
Junior Ricardo Velazco scored six goals and added five assists in an All-ACC season.
LOLLA REACHES 100-WIN PLATEAU AT LOUISVILLE
The winningest coach in the history of the Louisville men's soccer program, head coach Ken Lolla earned his 100th victory at the helm of the Cardinals with the season-opening triumph against No. 2 Maryland on Aug. 29. Having led Louisville to three conference championships in the last five seasons and seven straight seasons with at least 11 wins, Lolla has also guided the Cardinals to seven consecutive NCAA Championship appearances. Louisville has made three NCAA Elite Eight appearances, including a national runner-up finish in 2010 when the Cardinals won a school record 20 games before falling to Akron in the title game of the College Cup.
LOUISVILLE TABBED TO WIN ACC ATLANTIC DIVISION
Louisville was chosen as the favorite to win the Atlantic Division by ACC men's soccer head coaches entering the 2014 season. Notre Dame was tabbed as the team to beat in the Coastal Division in a vote of the 12 conference head coaches. The Irish were also named by six coaches as favorite to win the league championship, followed by Virginia with three votes, North Carolina with two and Louisville with one. The Cardinals received nine 12 first-place votes while totaling 69 total points as the Atlantic Division favorite. Wake Forest (57 points) and Clemson (50) both collected first-place votes and were followed in the preseason poll by NC State (30), Boston College (26) and Syracuse (20).
BRODY, VELAZCO NAMED TO TOPDRAWERSOCCER TOP 100
Sophomore midfielder Andrew Brody and junior forward Ricardo Velazco were each named to the TopDrawerSoccer National Top 100 released on Aug. 27. Ranked 46th overall, Brody scored three goals and added eight assists in 20 starts as a freshman in 2013. Velazco, ranked No. 54, led the Cardinals with seven goals and nine assists while starting all 20 matches in his first season in Louisville in 2013. The Louisville duo are among 17 players from the ACC on the preseason list.
BALL, KELLER AND MOORE CHOSEN AS TEAM CAPTAINS IN 2014
A trio of seniors -- goalkeeper Joachim Ball, defender Daniel Keller and midfielder Nolan Moore -- were announced as team captains for 2014 by head coach Ken Lolla during the team's annual media day activities on Aug. 13. Ball started 19 matches in 2013 finishing with eight shutouts and making 53 saves for the Cardinals, who won the American Conference regular season championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship. Ball ranked 15th nationally in goals against average at 0.688 and was a key player as Louisville set school records for consecutive minutes played without allowing a goal (560) and consecutive shutouts with five from Sept. 21 to Oct. 6.
Another key player in the Cardinals' stretch of shutouts last season, Keller started 18 matches and made 19 total appearances as a junior. He scored three goals, all game-winners, while adding one assist. In his three seasons, Keller has played in 52 matches with 40 starts while scoring five goals. Moore started seven matches and played in 18 games overall in his first season in Louisville after transferring from Cal Poly. He finished with two goals and both were game-winners for the Cardinals in 2013.
FROM LOUISVILLE TO MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER: CARDINALS IN THE MLS SUPERDRAFT
With coach Ken Lolla at the helm at the University of Louisville, the Cardinals have been very successful in sending players into professional soccer and specifically Major League Soccer. During the last four years, Louisville has produced five first round selections in the MLS SuperDraft, including Andrew Farrell as the No. 1 overall pick in 2013. The Cardinals have also had two or more selections in the first two rounds of the SuperDraft in each of the last four years highlighted by a school record four selections in 2012. Overall, 12 players from the University of Louisville have been chosen in the MLS SuperDraft in the last four years.
