Just over a week before NCAA tournament selections, both top-2 DI men's soccer teams stumbled in conference tournament play on Sunday night. No. 1 UCF was knocked off by South Carolina in the Sun Belt quarterfinals, while No. 2 Notre Dame lost to Louisville in the ACC semifinals.
Here's how both upsets went down.
South Carolina 2, No. 1 UCF 1
South Carolina lit the Capstone after downing the No. 1 team in the country for the first time in program history.
Before the Gamecocks' 2-1 win, only four of UCF's 14 previous opponents have scored first this season. And only one of them had come out victorious against the Knights — Marshall, ranked No. 1 at the time.
Enter South Carolina, with a sub-.500 record and labeled a No. 7 seed in the conference tournament.
The Gamecocks struck early with a Harrison Myring goal in the sixth minute. Myring sprinted free of two UCF defenders and booted the ball just ahead of the six-yard box for South Carolina's first score and his first goal all season.
𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗘.
— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) November 6, 2023
Junior forward Harrison Myring beats the keeper on the near side for the @GamecockMSoccer tally in the 6th minute. ☀️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/GVDvqWiHcw
If Myring came up big, Jack Burgess' heading skills came up even bigger. In the 23rd minute, Kasper Lehm sent a pass to Jordan Illian on the left side of the box, who crossed the ball to meet Burgess' head. With one bounce, the ball rolled into the cage as what proved to be the game winner.
24' | And @jackburge8 adds to the Gamecock lead!!! Kasper Lehm with his second assist of the night and give a second assist to @JordanIllian1.
— Gamecock Men's Soccer (@GamecockMSoccer) November 6, 2023
🐔 2 | 0 ⚔️
📱💻 https://t.co/yzVmmrp9rq#WEareCarolina pic.twitter.com/AfQ2pRuJul
The Knights pounded back in the second half, scoring one, but ultimately fell 2-1.
Previously perfect when recording more shots on goal than its opponents, UCF dropped the match after out-shooting the Gamecocks 28-11 and getting three more SOG (8) than South Carolina (5). Goaltender Ben Alexander recorded six saves on the night.
South Carolina had previously posted a 0-4-1 record against No. 1 ranked teams all time. Sunday's win was its first top-5 road victory since 2012.
The Knights were the unanimous No. 1 team in the Week 10 United Soccer Coaches' Poll going into Sunday's match, but have now lost two consecutive games since those rankings have surfaced, falling to James Madison, 2-1, last week. Now, UCF's record stands at 10-3-2 and South Carolina improves to 6-8-3.
Just two weeks prior, UCF beat South Carolina, 3-2. This time, it was South Carolina's turn to end the Knights' Sun Belt Championship aspirations. The Gamecocks now look ahead to facing West Virginia in the conference semifinals.
Louisville 4, No. 2 Notre Dame 3
Exhale, Cardinals! After weeks of bated breath — a common symptom for those exposed to the NCAA tournament bubble — and a frantic final 25 minutes Sunday as Louisville suddenly surrendered a three-goal advantage, the Cardinals stunned No. 2 Notre Dame 4-3 in the ACC quarterfinals with an 88th-minute winner.
Louisville entered the final week of the regular season sporting a middling 2-3-2 conference mark. However, after a crucial point against No. 3 Wake Forest and a win over Pitt in the ACC tournament's first round, the Cardinals looked well on their way to another resume-defining performance Sunday as Sander Roed fired home a spectacular strike in the 23rd minute. Skulking atop the 18-yard box, Roed settled under a partial clearance from the Louisville defense and guided his first-time volley straight into the bottom-left corner, giving his Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
23' | CARDS LEAD!!!
— Louisville Men's Soccer (@LouisvilleMSOC) November 6, 2023
What a strike from Sander 🔥🔥
Cards 1, No. 2 Notre Dame 0
📺 @accnetwork#GoCards pic.twitter.com/wyRB4G1ZnU
Roed would double his account straight out of halftime, demonstrating exceptional strength to hold off his defender and secure the ball inside the penalty area, taking a touch toward goal and rolling a right-footed strike past the outstretched goal keeper. History would be made just four minutes later, as Roed ran under a perfectly-weighted first-time cross from Brandon McManus and powered his header beyond the scrambling keeper to notch Louisville's first hat trick since 2017.
Two goals in three minutes from the Irish left all to play for entering the final 20 minutes, however, and the parked Cardinal bus finally tipped over as Notre Dame's Bryce Boneau secured his brace and leveled the match at three in the 88th minute.
In a remarkable demonstration of resolve, the Cardinals would immediately swoop down the field to earn a corner. Defender Josh Jones came forward and bounced the outswinging delivery from, whoelse, Roed off the turf and past the keeper to restore Louisville's lead just 66 seconds later.
89' | NO QUIT IN THIS GROUP!!!
— Louisville Men's Soccer (@LouisvilleMSOC) November 6, 2023
Notre Dame equalizes, and Josh gets it RIGHT back 👏
Cards 4, No. 2 Notre Dame 3
📺 @accnetwork #GoCards pic.twitter.com/cUOPRtRxSS
The Louisville defense held firm to see out a 4-3 victory, and the Cardinals will advance to the ACC tournament semifinals against fourth-seeded Clemson on Wednesday, Nov. 8.
