By Aaron Williams

The University of Louisville men’s soccer team might have fallen just short of winning the College Cup, but for players remaining and those moving on, success is still on the horizon for the Cardinals. On Jan. 13, senior defender J.T. Murray and redshirt senior midfielder Charlie Campbell were selected in the 2011 MLS Super Draft as the 32nd and 35th picks, respectively. Murray was drafted to Sporting Kansas City, while Campbell was picked up by F.C. Dallas. It was the first time in school history that two soccer players were selected in the draft.

Campbell and Murray were both strong contributors to the team that put together the best season Louisville soccer has ever seen. After cruising through the nonconference schedule, with six wins and two ties that came against Duke University and Ohio State University, the Cards went 8-0-0 in Big East play. The team then put together two thrilling victories against West Virginia University and the University of Notre Dame, before receiving the third tie when they met the Friars of Providence College at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. for the Big East Championship.

“At the beginning of our season, we talked about what our team would look like and tried to paint a picture of what our season would look like,” said Ken Lolla, men’s soccer head coach. “The College Cup is simply our next step. When we sat down, we had a clear picture of what this would look like. I knew this team had the determination, the work ethic and the attitude to get it done.”

With the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Cards were able to play the first three rounds of the tournament in Cardinal Park. This included the offensively thrilling University of California, Los Angeles Elite Eight matchup. The Cards, faced with a 3-2 deficit at the end of 45 minutes of play, surged to a 4-3 lead in the second half, before allowing UCLA to equalize, as time in the second half dwindled. In the final minute of play, it was freshman striker Aaron Horton who put the game away for the Cards, with a hard-earned goal driven right through the teeth of UCLA’s back line. The Cards went on to win 5-4.

“I was on the edge of my seat the whole time,” said Adoit Pradhan, a graduate student seeking his MBA. “Great performance – the fans had a great time.”

Following the win over the Bruins, the Cards traveled out west to the Sunshine State to meet the University of North Carolina Tar Heels in the College Cup semifinals in Santa Barbara, Calif. After a scoreless first half, redshirt junior midfielder Austin Berry scored in the 58th minute off a corner kick from freshman midfielder Dylan Mares. The Tar Heels rallied and managed to put a goal in the back of the net in the 62nd minute, making the game a gridlock once more. As the game entered the 90th minute, it was Horton scoring off an assist from sophomore midfielder Ryan Smith that put Louisville ahead and ultimately gave the Cards the victory.

Berry said he knew from the moment he signed on as a Cardinal that the team would have great success.

“I came in and as soon as I met Coach Lolla I fell in love with the program,” said Berry. “I committed right on the spot with the mindset, even my first year, that this was going to be a team of national championships.”

The team eventually fell short against an undefeated University of Akron. A single goal decided a championship matchup that was competitive down to the final minute. But the future still looks bright for the Cardinal men’s soccer team. The team returns key offensive players such as Horton, Mares, freshman midfielder Andrew Farrell, sophomore midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo and junior forward Colin Rolfe, as well sophomore defender Brock Granger and redshirt junior goalkeeper Andre Boudreaux.