Men’s DI Tournament: Third Round Recap

by Travis Clark

November 28, 2016

The quarterfinal field is set in the men's Division I NCAA Tournament. Below is a quick recap of the Third Round games.

Bakero brace fires Wake Forest past SIUE

Forward Jon Bakero ensured a fast start to Wake Forest’s third round clash against SIUE, scoring a third-minute opener.

MORE: Division I Men's Bracket | Men's Division I Top 25

But that wasn’t going to deter SIUE, as the upstart MVC side secured the equalizer through Austin Ledbetter. However, another win against a seeded side wasn’t on the cards, as Bakero scored against in the 72nd minute, punching Wake’s ticket to the Elite Eight for the second straight year.

Clemson pulls away from Albany

Deadlocked at 1-1 against Albany heading into the final 10 minutes, Clemson pulled away with two goals in three minutes, to advance on the back of a 3-1 win.

Forward Austen Burnikel was the hero of the day, as he scored Clemson’s first two goals, before setting up Alex Happi’s insurance strike in the 83rd minute.

North Carolina, Louisville win all-ACC clashes

Two of the eight third round matches over the weekend featured conference clashes, with the Tar Hells and Cardinals advancing in all-ACC meetings.

A first half goal from freshman Jeremy Kelly proved to be enough, as North Carolina defeated Syracuse by a 1-0 score up in New York. Kelly’s 32nd minute goal was all UNC’s stout defense needed, as the Tar Heels outshot the Orange 10-6 in the victory.

Two second half goals provided the final margin of victory in Louisville’s 3-1 home win against Notre Dame. Mo Thiaw and Jon Gallagher exchanged goals in the first 54 minutes, before Tate Schmitt and Cherif Dieye tacked on late tallies.

Stanford wins in second overtime

Just when it seemed like another stout defensive performance would keep Virginia in contention, co-Pac-12 Player of the Year Foster Langsdorf popped up to propel the Cardinal into the next round.

Langsdorf scored the winning goal in the 106th minute off a set piece, his seventh game-deciding strike of the 2016 season.

Upset runs continue for Virginia Tech, Providence

Two non-seeded teams remain live in the quarterfinals after winning huge road clashes over the weekend. Virginia Tech needed overtime to defeat Big Ten side Indiana, as Forrest White curled home the winning strike in the first overtime to progress.

Midfielder Julian Gressel continues to keep the Providence season alive. This time, the German midfielder scored the equalizer and then set up the game-winning goal as the Friars topped Big East foes Creighton in Omaha. Danny Griffin fired home the winner, setting up a quarterfinal trip to Chapel Hill.

Pioneers hold on against Pac-12 opposition

The undefeated run continues for Denver, which now has the chance to play for a spot in the College Cup.

The Pioneers jumped out to a 2-0 lead through goals from Chandler Crosswait and Andre Shinyashiki, and managed to hold on at home to the 2-1 victory. Steven Wright pulled a goal back for Washington, but the Huskies couldn’t find the equalizer despite piling on the pressure in the final minutes.