Three teams with Academy products advanced to the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament: Akron (Adam Najem), Maryland (Mael Corboz) and Wake Forest (Steven Echevarria, Kevin Politz). Eleven teams, made up of 24 New York Red Bulls Academy products, qualified for the NCAA Soccer Championship and five of those teams made it to the Third Round.
The following is a list of New York Red Bulls Academy products in the 2015 NCAA Soccer Championship:
No. 4 Akron: Adam Najem (MID) – Akron advanced to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals for the first time since the Zips won the title in 2010 with a win against No. 11 SMU, 2-1. Adam Najem recorded a team-high nine shots, five of them on goal, in the victory. Najem has two assists through two games in the NCAA Tournament. No. 12 Creighton awaits Akron in the Quarterfinals on Dec. 5.
No. 3 Georgetown: Brandon Allen (FWD), Arun Basuljevic (MID), Alex Muyl (MID), Christopher Lema (MID), Ethan Lochner (FWD), Kyle Zajec (MID) – Georgetown lost in a shootout to Boston College, 5-4. The Eagles opened the scoring 19 minutes in, but Georgetown leveled the match in the 60th minute, thanks to an assist by Christopher Lema. The sides could not could not break the 1-1 deadlock eventually headed into penalty kicks. In the shootout, Brandon Allen and Lema were two of the five Hoyas shooters to step up and they both converted their penalty kicks. Allen, Arun Basuljevic and Alex Muyl combined for eight shots in the match and New York Red Bulls II player Kyle Zajec featured as a substitute.
No. 10 Maryland: Mael Corboz (MID) – Mael Corboz provided two assists to help Maryland defeat No. 7 Notre Dame, 2-1, in the Third Round. The senior served up the first goal on a free kick which was headed in by a Maryland attacker for the opening goal. Corboz earned the game-winning assist in the 38th minute and helped the Terps hang on to their lead and advance, despite being reduced to 10-men in the final 12 minutes. Next up for the Terps are No. 2 Clemson in the Quarterfinals on Dec. 4. Corboz has recorded three assists in two games in the NCAA Tournament.
No. 15 UCSB: Dugan Zier (DEF) – UCSB were eliminated by Clemson in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament, 3-2. Despite a back-and-forth affair, Clemson broke the 2-2 tie with the game-winner in the 79th minute. Dugan Zier, a freshman, did not play in the NCAA Tournament.
No. 1 Wake Forest: Steven Echevarria (MID), Kevin Politz (DEF) – Top seed Wake Forest survived and advanced in a close game against No. 16 Indiana, 1-0. A late 88th minute goal was enough to take the top-seeded team through to the Elite Eight in a game that Steven Echevarria started in midfield. Wake Forest is set to take on No. 8 Stanford in the Quarterfinals on Dec. 5.
* – Eliminated from NCAA Tournament
