DePaul University Athletics
It's David Versus Goliath
11/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S SOCCER
Nov. 3, 2010
BIG EAST Playoff Bracket (pdf) 
CHICAGO - Once you're in the playoffs, anything can happen.
That is the sentiment of DePaul coach Craig Blazer as his team heads into a 6:30 p.m. BIG EAST Conference Championship match Thursday at No. 9 Connecticut.
The odds certainly seemed stacked against Blazers' Blue Demons, who played their best back-to-back performances of the season (tying Cincinnati, beating Rutgers) in their final BIG EAST games to secure the last playoff spot in the Red Division.
That earned DePaul its fifth-consecutive appearance in the BIG EAST playoffs.
"I'm very encouraged by making the BIG EAST tournament five years in a row," Blazer said. "This is one of the toughest soccer conferences in the nation.
"Now, everyone starts over at 0-0."
Connecticut (11-2-4) has an outstanding goalkeeper named Jeff Ford who has only allowed five goals in 17 games.
Ford leads the nation in goals-against average (0.29) and save percentage (0.91). Along with his defensive back line, Ford and the Huskies have only given up one goal in their last seven games.
At the other end, UConn is eighth in the country with 36 goals. The set-up man for the offensive fireworks is Carlos Alvarez, who is third in the nation with 12 assists.
"Connecticut is one of the perennial favorites every year in the BIG EAST and in the NCAA," Blazer said. "They play a possession style and a very attractive brand of soccer.
"This is exactly why good recruits come to DePaul---for an opportunity to play the top programs like Connecticut."
DePaul (4-9-5) is hoping to match zeroes with Connecticut behind a defense that was revamped seven games ago and has allowed just six goals in that span.
The Blue Demon defense has come together since John Michael Kulnig took over at goalkeeper and Matt Leinauer was shifted to right center-back. Scott Freundlich was also added to the defensive mix, joining Austin Toth and Andre Gutierrez.
"JM (Kulnig) and Matt have very good soccer awareness," Blazer said. "That becomes contagious, and you build confidence from it.
"These guys never point fingers, never make excuses and are always ready to take responsibility.
"All the guys on our team are aware of the attitude that we have to defend first. We have to come out fighting and show the other team they're in for a game."
That certainly happened the two other times DePaul played Connecticut. The Huskies came into Wish Field during the 2007 regular season ranked No. 2 in the nation. DePaul pulled off a 1-0 upset on Steffen Vroom's game-winner.
In the 2008 BIG EAST quarterfinals in Storrs, Conn., DePaul came away with another 1-0 win thanks to Willy Lara's goal.
Just about two weeks ago, the Blue Demons ventured into Cardinal Park to face No. 2 Louisville, and put on one of their best performances of the season in a 2-1, double-overtime loss.
"We're going to have the same mentality against Connecticut that we had going into the game at Louisville," said Ray De Leon, the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week. "One soccer poll had Louisville ranked No. 1, and we came out and tried to match their athleticism, skill and speed of play.
"People thought Louisville was going to come out and toy with us. We ended up taking them into double overtime."
Blazer & Co. would welcome another double-overtime thriller on Thursday, only with a slightly different ending.
"If we do the little things right---and a lot of that is defensive---and find a way to score, we're going to be all right," Blazer said.
