 "Photo: Paul Chouy, Daily Texan Staff")
The Longhorns head to the northwest Friday with their season hanging in the balance. The first round of the NCAA Championships pits No. 19 Texas against a side that should be more familiar with the surroundings.
No. 24 Washington State (10-5-5) will be the first hurdle Friday night at nearby Clive Charles Soccer Complex in Portland, Ore., with No. 2 Portland waiting in the wings for a potential second-round clash.
“We’re heading into a tough environment, but at this point everyone you play is pretty good,” said head coach Chris Petrucelli. “We have some work to do now, figuring out what they are all about and how we match up.”
After the familiar grind of the Big 12 season against traditional rivals, Texas will face the Cougars with little in the way of a road map. The two sides have played only once before, a 2-0 Texas win in 2003.
“[The coaches] have some work to do now,” Petrucelli said, “figuring out what they are all about and how we match up.”
Despite their average 10-5-5 record, the Cougars’ resume is befitting of a top-25 team. Playing in the loaded Pac-10, Washington State has played eight ranked teams this season, including conference games against two tournament favorites in defending champions USC, a 0-0 draw, and No.1 seed UCLA, a 2-1 loss in double overtime.
Like the Longhorns, Washington State has often needed more than the allotted 90 minutes of game time this season, going into overtime a school-record eight times. Combined with Texas’ seven double-overtime matches, this game could go the distance.
After the disappointment of their early exit in the Big 12 Tournament at the hands of eventual champions Missouri, the Longhorns are looking for a change of fortunes on this daunting road trip.
“We’re just trying to rebuild and put that game in the past. We didn’t get the result that we wanted, but that does not mean we can’t get a result in the next game,” senior Kasey Moore said. “It’s one and out, so if we don’t get a result it will be over pretty quick.”
Meanwhile, Texas is drawing inspiration from the parallels of this season’s challenges to last year. Facing two games at hostile College Station, including one against the heavily favored Aggies, the Longhorns beat BYU and Texas A&M to advance to the round of 16.
And with more at stake than in any game the Longhorns have played this season, experience in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of cup soccer could be the
difference.
Washington State, making its first tournament appearance since 2002, has no players with the same luxury.
“We have a core group of players who went on the road into a difficult environment [last year] and were successful,” Petrucelli said. “We have experience in these types of situations, and we know we’re capable of being successful.”
This season, however, has seen that experience tempered by an infusion of freshmen to the starting lineup. The results have swung with unnerving inconsistency as the team has struggled to find an identity.
“We’re capable of playing really well. Timing is so important with this team, if we can peak at the right time,” Petrucelli said. “We’ve had some good games in the year, and we’ve had some where we’ve struggled. We’re hoping we can put it all together at the right time.”
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