The 2014 NIRSA national soccer championship was the 21st NIRSA National Soccer Championships, the annual national championships for United States-based, collegiate club soccer teams organized by NIRSA. It took place at Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Memphis, Tennessee from Thursday, November 20 to Saturday, November 22, 2014. This marks a return to play after the previous tournament was unable to name a champion due to rain.
Overview
Men's championship In the finals, Ohio State and San Diego State would face off in both teams' first finals. Coming into the finals, San Diego State defeated reigning champion from the 2012 tournament, Michigan State, 1–0 in the semi-finals while Ohio State beat 2004 champion, Texas A&M 4–2 in the semifinals. The game would be scoreless at the end of regulation, meaning a 15-minute, sudden-victory period would be played. Three minutes before the end of extra time, eventual MVP Alex Bujenovic of Ohio State would score a low cross and lead Ohio State to a 1–0 victory and their first national title.
Women's championship In the finals, Ohio State and Miami (OH), two Region III opponents, would meet for the third time this season. Miami (OH) won the first two meetings 1–0, the first being on October 5 in the regular season and the second being in the W-MASC Region III regional tournament. Coming into the finals, Miami (OH) had won their first 4 games, including a 4–3 penalty shootout victory against the division's most successful team, UC-Santa Barbara. Conversely, Ohio State lost their opener to aforementioned UC-Santa Barbara, but won their next 4, including a 1–0 victory in extra time over Texas via a PK. In the finals, eventual MVP Ellen Haas of Ohio State would score in the 35th and 63rd minute to win 2–0 and prevent Miami (OH) from beating them 3 straight times. This was Ohio State's first national title, joining their male counterparts.
Men's open In the finals, the 2012 open finalists, UC-Berkeley, were looking to claim their second open title over Region II regional finalist UCF in their first open division finals. In the finals, UC-Berkeley scored first in the 50th minute but UCF tied it 8 minutes later, the first goal they conceded all tournament. 3 minutes prior to the end of regulation, UC-Berkeley would take the lead again, which would be enough for them to claim their second open title. UC-Berkeley only scored 5 goals in their six games with 2 of them coming in the finals, and their own Amir Guedoir was named MVP.
Women's open In the finals, 2008 open division champions UCLA would face 2005 championship division champions Michigan in their first open divisional finals. Michigan started the knockout round by beating the reigning open division champions, JMU, 2–0 in the quarterfinals while UCLA needed extra time in their quarterfinal matchup against Northeastern. Michigan took the lead in the 56th minute and doubled it in the 61st minute to win 2–0 and claim their first women's open division title. Michigan didn't give up a goal in any of their 6 games and their own Beth Boyer was named divisional MVP.
Format
The competition consisted of 96 teams: 48 men's teams and 48 women's teams. Each of these divisions were further divided into two 24-team divisions: the championship and open. The championship division divided teams into eight groups of three while the open division divided teams into six groups of four, both engaging in a round-robin tournament that determined teams able to advance to a knockout stage. Pool play games were two 40-minute halves, separated by a seven-minute halftime and utilized the three points for a win system. In the championship division, the two highest ranked teams from each group advanced to their knockout stage, with the third placed team advancing to a consolation bracket. In the open division, the top team from each group as well as the two best second placed teams advanced to their knockout stage. Tie-breaking criteria for group playThe ranking of teams in each group was based on the following criteria in order:
Highest number of points Winner of head-to-head competition Greatest goal difference Maximum ± 5 goal difference per match Most goals scored Most shutouts
In a tie breaking scenario involving more than 2 teams, the tiebreaker procedure would begin. If one team is identified as different and both remaining teams are still tied, the tie breaker procedure is restarted.
If a tie still remained after the first 5 criteria, the following was used to break a tie:
NCAA kicks from the mark If there was a three-way tie, a coin-flip would be conducted. The two teams that chose the same outcome would compete in kicks from the mark between each other. The winner would compete with the last remaining team in kicks from the mark If there's a four-way tie, a drawing of lots would be conducted (only could occur in open division) Knockout stage games also consisted of two 40-minute halves. The round of 16 and quarterfinals were separated by a seven-minute halftime while the semifinals and finals had a ten-minute halftime. Knockout stage games needed to declare a winner. If a knockout-stage game was tied at the end of regulation, overtime would begin. Overtime consisted of one, 15-minute, golden-goal period. If still tied after overtime, kicks from the mark would determine the winner.
Qualification and selections
Each of the six regions received three automatic bids for both the men's and women's championship that they awarded to its members. The final six bids were considered "at-large", and were given out by NIRSA to teams, typically based on their regional tournament results and RPI.
The 48 remaining teams participated in the open division and were selected via a lottery draw that aired on YouTube on September 30, 2014, at 3pm EST. This was the first time a lottery was utilized. If a selected team qualified for the championship division, an alternate took their spot. 54 men's teams and 43 women's were selected.
Men's championship +Automatic bidsRegionTeamAppearanceLast BidIDelaware9th2013ITufts1stNeverIUConn2nd2011IIFlorida9th2013IIVirginia Tech7th2013IIFlorida State1stNeverIIIIllinois12th2013IIIOhio State10th2013IIICincinnati3rd2013IVTexas16th2013IVRice3rd2013IVSMU2nd2006VColorado State17th2013VColorado Mines4th2013VIowa State1stNeverVICal Poly6th2013VIUtah State1stNeverVIUTEP3rd2013 +At-large bidsRegionTeamAppearanceLast BidIUMass2nd2010IIVirginia7th2010IIIMarquette1stNeverIIIMichigan State8th2013IVTexas A&M15th2013VISan Diego State4th2007 Source:
Women's championship +Automatic bidsRegionTeamAppearanceLast BidIDelaware12th2013IPittsburgh5th2013IPenn State19th2013IINorth Carolina11th2013IINC State1stNeverIIVirginia8th2012IIIOhio State14th2013IIIMiami (OH)14th2013IIIMichigan State11th2012IVTexas15th2013IVTexas A&M15th2013IVKansas5th2012VColorado20th2013VColorado State18th2013VColorado Mines3rd2011VIOregon1stNeverVIUC-Davis2nd2006VICal State Northridge1stNever +At-large bidsRegionTeamAppearanceLast BidICornell8th2012IIFlorida12th2013IIFlorida State2nd2000IIIIllinois10th2013VIUC-Santa Barbara14th2013VIUSC2nd2013 Source:
Men's lottery selection Full men's lottery selectionsRegionTeamSelection TypeBid resultIGeorge MasonAutomaticAcceptedICornellAutomaticAcceptedIRochesterAutomaticNot acceptedISUNY CortlandAutomaticAcceptedIBoston CollegeWaitlistAccepted from waitlistINortheasternWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIStony BrookWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIPenn StateWaitlistNot givenIBinghamtonWaitlistNot givenIPennWaitlistNot givenICanisiusWaitlistNot givenIVillanovaWaitlistNot givenIUConnWaitlistChampionshipIBrownWaitlistNot givenIVermontWaitlistNot givenIBrockportWaitlistNot givenIIMary WashingtonAutomaticAcceptedIIUCFAutomaticAcceptedIIVirginia TechAutomaticChampionshipIIECTCAutomaticNot acceptedIIMiami (FL)WaitlistAccepted from waitlistIIJMUWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIIEast CarolinaWaitlistNot givenIIMemphisWaitlistNot givenIIUSF St. PetersburgWaitlistNot givenIIICincinnatiAutomaticChampionshipIIIPurdueAutomaticAcceptedIIIIllinoisAutomaticAcceptedIIIUW-WhitewaterAutomaticNot acceptedIIIUW-MilwaukeeWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIVTexasAutomaticAcceptedIVWash UAutomaticAcceptedIVMissouriAutomaticAcceptedIVArkansasAutomaticAcceptedIVTexas TechWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIVKansasWaitlistNot givenIVKansas StateWaitlistNot givenVColorado SpringsAutomaticAcceptedVIowa StateAutomaticChampionshipVMinnesotaAutomaticNot acceptedVColorado StateAutomaticChampionshipVColorado MinesWaitlistChampionshipVIUC-BerkeleyAutomaticAcceptedVIOregonAutomaticAcceptedVILoyola MarymountAutomaticNot acceptedVIIdaho StateAutomaticNot acceptedVIUC-DavisWaitlistAccepted from waitlistVICal Poly SLOWaitlistChampionshipVIUtah ValleyWaitlistAccepted from waitlistVIUCLAWaitlistAccepted from waitlistVISan Diego StateWaitlistChampionshipVIStanfordWaitlistNot givenVILDS Business CollegeWaitlistNot givenVICal State NorthridgeWaitlistNot given +Participating teamsRegionTeamSelection TypeBid resultIGeorge MasonAutomaticAcceptedICornellAutomaticAcceptedISUNY CortlandAutomaticAcceptedIBoston CollegeWaitlistAccepted from waitlistINortheasternWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIStony BrookWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIIMary WashingtonAutomaticAcceptedIIUCFAutomaticAcceptedIIMiami (FL)WaitlistAccepted from waitlistIIJMUWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIIIPurdueAutomaticAcceptedIIIIllinoisAutomaticAcceptedIIIUW-MilwaukeeWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIVTexasAutomaticAcceptedIVWash UAutomaticAcceptedIVMissouriAutomaticAcceptedIVArkansasAutomaticAcceptedIVTexas TechWaitlistAccepted from waitlistVColorado SpringsAutomaticAcceptedVIUC-BerkeleyAutomaticAcceptedVIOregonAutomaticAcceptedVIUC-DavisWaitlistAccepted from waitlistVIUtah ValleyWaitlistAccepted from waitlistVIUCLAWaitlistAccepted from waitlist
Women's lottery selection Full women's lottery selectionsRegionTeamSelection TypeBid resultIGeorgetownAutomaticAcceptedINortheasternAutomaticAcceptedIPennAutomaticAcceptedIFordhamAutomaticAcceptedIUConnWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIUMassWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIBostonWaitlistNot givenIVillanovaWaitlistNot givenIVermontWaitlistNot givenIRutgersWaitlistNot givenISUNY CortlandWaitlistNot givenIBrockportWaitlistNot givenIPenn StateWaitlistChampionshipIBoston CollegeWaitlistNot givenIISouth CarolinaAutomaticNot acceptedIIVanderbiltAutomaticAcceptedIIUCFAutomaticAcceptedIIVirginia TechAutomaticAcceptedIIMary WashingtonWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIIJMUWaitlistAccepted from waitlistIIMiami (FL)WaitlistAccepted from waitlistIIICornellAutomaticChampionshipIIIUW-MilwaukeeAutomaticAcceptedIIIIllinoisAutomaticChampionshipIIIMichiganAutomaticAcceptedIVTexasAutomaticChampionshipIVKansasAutomaticChampionshipIVTexas TechAutomaticAcceptedIVWash UAutomaticAcceptedIVMissouriWaitlistAccepted from waitlistVIowaAutomaticAcceptedVIowa StateAutomaticAcceptedVColorado MinesAutomaticChampionshipVColoradoAutomaticAcceptedVColorado StateWaitlistChampionshipVINorthern ArizonaAutomaticNot acceptedVIUSCAutomaticAcceptedVIUC-Santa BarbaraAutomaticChampionshipVIUC-DavisAutomaticChampionshipVIUCLAWaitlistAccepted from waitlistVISan Diego StateWaitlistAccepted from waitlistVIUC-BerkeleyWaitlistNot givenVIOregonWaitlistChampionship