Soccer reaches for NCAA bid

In the final weekend of play in the UAA, it is a three-team horse race for the league crown, according to Head Coach Chris Apple.While Carnegie Mellon University and Emory University, the other teams competing with UR, can afford to place or show and still earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, UR needs to win the league in order to qualify.”There’s only four at- large bids for the tourney and there are so many good teams out there that the only way we’ll make it is if we win the UAA,” Apple said.Unfortunately, UR does not control its own destiny. Carnegie Mellon, which has already defeated UR, leads the league with 15 points. UR and Emory are close behind in second with 13 points. The Eagles and the Tartans face off in Atlanta on Saturday, with UR pulling for Emory. If Emory and UR both win, both will have the same number of wins. However, since UR beat Emory 2-0 in October, the Yellowjackets would take the title.If Carnegie Mellon wins or ties, they will win the league for the third consecutive year regardless of the result of UR’s game against Case Western. In the case of a UR win and a Carnegie Mellon tie, each team will finish with 16 points. The Tartans would then win the league as result of their 2-1 win over UR on the 16th.”We are praying for 95 degree heat with high humidity in Atlanta on Saturday,” Apple joked.UR is in position to win the league because of clutch play last weekend on its trip to the Midwest. The Yellowjackets upended Washington University in St. Louis 1-0, subsequently knocking the Bears out of the UAA race on Halloween night. Two days later, in Chicago, UR used a late goal to eke out a much-needed point in a 1-1 tie against University of Chicago.Sophomore Jeremy Goico netted the only goal of the game with an upper-corner blast from the top of the box in the 28th minute. UR had several other chances to build its lead. Senior Mike Springer hit the post with a Continued from Page 20shot in the second half and sophomore Gary Stom had a breakaway opportunity thwarted by the Washington goalie.Senior goalkeeper Brian Minehan made several big saves, including a diving stop on a header in the first half. It was Minehan’s 25th shutout in his four-year career giving him the school record. He broke the record of Brett Polow of the class of ’98.On Sunday, UR was lucky to escape Chicago with a tie. The Yellowjackets pressed after going down 1-0 early in the second half. In the closing minutes, the desperate squad sent their entire team forward, including Minehan in an attempt to equalize. Freshman Greg Colavecchia made a great one on one defensive play to knock the ball off the line when Minehan was beaten. With just 24 seconds left, senior Ross D’Eredita scored on a tough angle, off a pass from fellow senior Nate Rimmke.If UR is able to win the UAA championship this weekend, it will be their first title since 1997.Rybaltowski can be reached at mrybaltowski@campustimes.org.