Mens team looks to avoid letdown in rematch with Akron
By: BRYAN KRONK
Sports Writer
Few were surprised Monday when Notre Dame's name was announced as a part of the 48-team NCAA Tournament field for mens soccer.
What may have surprised some, however, was the opponent, an Akron team the Irish have already faced — and beaten — this year.
Friday night at 7:30 at Alumni Field, the Irish (11-5-3) and Zips (9-7-3) face off in the first round of the "second season" for both teams.
The winner of the rematch will play Indiana in Bloomington on Wednesday.
After an early exit from the Big East Tournament, the Irish are more than ready to start over again.
"[Coach Bobby Clark] has really got us believing that being eliminated from the Big East Tournament [in the first round] was a blessing in disguise," junior captain Greg Martin said.
Friday's match will mark the first-ever NCAA Tournament home game for the mens soccer team.
The first time these two teams met this season, on Oct. 6, the Irish rebounded from an overtime loss to Pittsburgh two days prior to eke out a 1-0 victory at Akron. Jack Stewart's goal midway through the second half proved to be the deciding goal.
Before the Irish victory this season, the Zips had dominated the series between the two teams, having won six of the first eight games of the nine game series. Before 2002, the Irish and Zips had not played each other since 1989.
The Zips enter the tournament having won the Mid-American Conference with a 4-1 conference record.
Meanwhile, the Irish have had nearly two weeks of rest since their last game, a gut-wrenching 2-1 overtime loss to Georgetown on Nov. 9.
"We're taking it back to fundamentals," Martin said. "We've treated this two-week period as a kind of preseason for the [NCAA] Tournament,"
The Irish are returning to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, after being eliminated in the first round of last year's tournament at Maryland.
This marks the second time in the history of the mens soccer program the team has received NCAA Tournament bids in two consecutive years. The Irish also achieved that feat in 1993 and 1994.
However, the Irish feel that this year, unlike any other before in the history of the mens soccer program, the team can build on its experiences from last year's postseason and string together some wins to make its second season last longer than just one game.
"We feel that we can string four wins together against anybody we play," Martin said. "And to do so would put us in the Final Four."
This year marks the eighth time in Clark's 16-year collegiate coaching career that he has led his team to the NCAA Tournament.
In addition, the Irish, under the guidance of Clark, have a 14-3-1 record (.806) at Alumni Field.
All Sports Stories for Friday, November 22, 2002
