The confetti flew through the air, and the boisterous student section stormed the North Kehoe Field.
Despite numerous announcements that students were not permitted on the field, the sellout crowd couldn’t help but celebrate No. 6 Georgetown’s 3-1 victory over San Diego in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament and its first trip to the NCAA College Cup.
When the Hoyas take the field in Hoover, Ala., on Friday afternoon with a berth in the national championship game on the line, their opponent will be familiar: neighboring Maryland.
The second-seeded Terrapins, three-time national champions who have a long College Cup history, defeated Louisville 3-1 on Saturday in College Park to advance.
The Hoyas and Terps will meet at 5 p.m. Friday in a game to be televised by ESPNU.
Indiana and Creighton will follow at 7:30 in the other semifinal.
The championship match will be played Sunday at 2 p.m.
Georgetown booked its passage Saturday when freshman Melvin Snoh netted the game-winner on his first career goal in the 72nd minute to send USD home.
“A team is about guys stepping up and making plays. Sometimes it’s the guys who have been doing it for you all year,” Georgetown coach Brian Wiese said. “That’s the fun thing on a run like this. Different guys step up and make plays.”
A couple of hours later, the party continued just more than 10 miles down the road as Maryland downed 10th-seeded Louisville.
Redshirt junior Jake Pace scored the eventual game-winner for the Terps with just 40 seconds remaining in the first half.
“It really gave us some momentum going in [to the half],” Pace said. “Then coming out, we were all excited to come out and put another [goal] in.”
Junior forward Patrick Mullins put the game out of reach in the 67th minute, following his rebound with a shot into the far corner.
It will be Maryland’s 12th College Cup appearance in program history and sixth in 11 years.
“We’re not satisfied with getting to the College Cup,” Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski said. “The preparation has already started. We’re going to be ready to go on Friday.”
UNC women win 21st NCAA title
SAN DIEGO (AP) — North Carolina scored three goals in the second half to Beat Penn State 4-1 and win its 21st women’s soccer NCAA championship.
The Tar Heels (15-5-3), who were making their 26th appearance in the final four College Cup, won the title for the first time since 2009.
Penn State, which was playing in its first women’s soccer championship game, finished 21-4-2.
With the game 1-1, Hanna Gardner scored 48 seconds into the second half when she converted Katie Bowen’s corner kick with a header past Penn State goalkeeper Erin McNulty. It was Gardner’s second goal of the season.
Satara Murray, who had set up the Tar Heels first goal early in the opening half, made it a 3-1 game in the 64th minute when she put home a rebound of a shot by Kelly McFarlane. It was her first goal of the season.
A little more than 10 minutes later, North Carolina’s Crystal Dunn set up Ranee Premji on a pass from the end line on the left wing and Premji made a one-touch volley and it was 4-1.
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