@MYOS1634 thank you!! It’s such a relief 
Hey LBad96 - Longtime follower and periodic communicator (feel like I’m calling into a talk show). You may recall that I’m from NJ as well and my middle son, your age, was considering many of the same colleges as you. (He’s at Penn State and enjoyed his freshman year). So happy your freshman year surpassed even your greatest hopes.
Well, I’m back on CC again to start exploring colleges for my now senior youngest son and primarily because of you and your experiences UNCW is on his early list. He’s a bit late to the game partially because he plays lacrosse in the spring and partially because he’s laid-back about most things (except hanging with his friends). He may go your route and apply first, visit if accepted. He did accompany the Penn Stater on some college tours two years ago and we’re taking his first solo visit next week to Temple. I’ll be checking in more regularly and may pick your brain on some UNCW. If my son’s interest continues, perhaps I can put him in touch with you.
Enjoy your summer!
Hey, @brucemag! Of course I recall that you’re from NJ and that your middle son (THANK YOU for spelling the word out) is at Penn State! I also remember that he was accepted to my former second choice Quinnipiac, but it wasn’t nearly as affordable or preferable as PSU (same with me with regards to UNCW v QU). You can most certainly put me in touch with your youngest son. I’d LOVE to tell him everything I love about UNCW and encourage him to really look into the school. You may PM me anytime if you want
And speaking of Quinnipiac and Penn State…random #flashbackfriday to the 2015 LBad Cup…with a lil remix of some of the results/goalscorers/venues. Wiki format.
The 2015 LBad Cup was an NCAA-sponsored college admissions soccer tournament held in the United States. The tournament was held between March 27 and April 26, 2015. New Jersey was the hosting state, with Rutgers University being the de facto hosts. The majority of the tournament was held in the Tri-State area, with the final being played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. The competition was held in honor of College Confidential user and rabid soccer fan LBad96, an African-American high school senior from an affluent North Jersey suburb of New York City, who signed a contract with his parents to attend the winning school.
Thirty-one colleges and universities across the United States were invited to join the host school in the final tournament. A total of 64 matches were played across several unique venues, a mixture of soccer and football stadiums. As in the World Cup held in Brazil in the previous year, match officials used goal-line technology and vanishing foam spray. Widely expected to be a huge bust in terms of fanfare, the tournament saw an average of 6 million TV viewers nationwide (and 12 million worldwide) per game. 30 million people worldwide tuned into the final. Stadium attendance totaled more than 3 million.
The LBad Cup featured several national academic powerhouses mixed in with athletically-dominant schools as well as traditional minnows. The competition was especially notable for springing a plethora of unforeseen shocks. Outside favorites Penn State, Florida State, and Central Florida were eliminated in the first round, unheralded Stetson surprisingly eliminated Pittsburgh and Binghamton en route to taking third place, Hofstra managed to make the Final Four, and all three teams who went perfect in the group stage - UMass, Pitt, and favorites Northeastern - spectacularly sputtered and lost in the Sweet 16. However, in a final between two dark horses, the UNC Wilmington Seahawks prevailed 4-3 over the Quinnipiac Bobcats in a dramatic match that saw three goals and a missed QU penalty in extra time.
Summaries of the different stages in next post
Group Stage
All 32 teams were split into eight groups of four teams each, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the second round. Teams were awarded three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss. If teams were tied on points, the main tiebreaker was goal difference; if tied on both, the determining factor would be goals scored. Each group finale was simultaneously played at a neutral venue. Participating schools were rated prior to the tournament based on perceived academic strength and reputation by LBad himself. Bolded teams advanced. Results are listed in win-draw-loss order.
Group A
The hosts Rutgers (4) opened their tournament with a 2-1 victory over Fairfield (3.5) through a late penalty from captain Jeremie D. UMass (4) put Stony Brook (3.5) to the sword 3-0 at home the next day with a brace from Trish B. UMass would then go on to dispatch both the Scarlet Knights and the Stags 2-0 to comfortably win the group without conceding a single goal. Rutgers had to come from behind twice against Stony Brook to advance on the final day, with winger Juliana B. netting an equalizer in the final ten minutes to eliminate the Seawolves. Fairfield went home with only 1 point, failing to live up to the expectations of their fans.
UMass Minutemen 3-0-0, 7 GS, 0 GA, +7 GD, 9 Pts
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 1-1-1, 4 GS, 5 GA, -1 GD, 4 Pts
Stony Brook Seawolves 0-2-1, 3 GS, 6 GA, -3 GD, 2 Pts
Fairfield Stags 0-1-2, 2 GS, 5 GA, -3 GD, 1 Pt
3/27/2015
Rutgers 2-1 Fairfield
Rafik 26’, Jeremie D. 73’ (pen.); Ellie S. 44’
Rutgers Stadium, New Brunswick, NJ
3/28/2015
UMass 3-0 Stony Brook
Trish B. 16’, 52’, Jaime G. 76’
McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Amherst, MA
4/1/2015
Rutgers 0-2 UMass
Trish B. 18’, Matt L. 72’
Rutgers Stadium, New Brunswick, NJ
4/2/2015
Stony Brook 1-1 Fairfield
Dolph R. 84’, Audrey C. 59’
LaValle Stadium, Stony Brook, NY
4/7/2015
Fairfield 0-2 UMass
Jaime G. 53’, Adrian A. 81’
FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, OH
Stony Brook 2-2 Rutgers
Misha B. 6’, Jacques 58’; Rafik 23’ (pen.), Juliana B. 80’
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
Group B
Group B saw Binghamton (4) impressively win the group after just two games, after 2-1 and 2-0 wins over Central Florida (4) and Arizona State (3) respectively (Rider had drawn with both schools). The Broncs (3) surprised many after coming from behind to beat the Bearcats to advance with them. UCF were made to pay the price for earlier blunders, as a 3-0 victory over a ten-man ASU could not save them. ASU, the westernmost school in the competition, failed to score in an underwhelming campaign and went home with only a single point.
Binghamton Bearcats, 2-0-1, 5 GS, 3 GA, +2 GD, 6 Pts
Rider Broncs, 1-2-0, 4 GS, 3 GA, +1 GD, 5 Pts
Central Florida Knights 1-1-1, 6 GS, 3 GA, +3 GD, 4 Pts
Arizona State Sun Devils 0-1-2, 0 GS, 5 GA, -5 GD, 1 Pt
3/28/2015
Central Florida 1-2 Binghamton
Samantha M. 6’; Ally L. 28’, Edmund O. 77’
Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
Arizona State 0-0 Rider
Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ
4/2/2015
Central Florida 2-2 Rider
Jessy G. 14’, Samantha M. 60’; Kristian G. 70’, Chris C. 84’
Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
Binghamton 2-0 Arizona State
Nate B. 29’, Samantha P. 78’
Bearcats Stadium, Binghamton, NY
4/7/2015
Rider 2-1 Binghamton
Chris C. 56’, Mike V. 87’; Adeola 9’
Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
Arizona State 0-3 Central Florida
Arianna B. 11’, Jessy G. 64’, Samantha M. 75’
Joey D. red card for Arizona State (58’)
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Group C
The Syracuse Orange (4.5), facing two D3 sides, won the group with 7 points and without conceding a goal. Clark (3.5), in their first-ever qualification for an NCAA tournament, won praise and respect after holding Syracuse to a scoreless draw in their second game. A narrow 2-1 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson (2.5) was enough to take them to the Sweet 16. TCNJ (4) drew with Clark and breezed past FDU in their first two games, but a 2-0 loss to 'Cuse eliminated them. FDU exited the tournament without a point and with only a solitary goal, having also had a player sent off in each of their first two games (Kaila S. against Syracuse and Caroline N. against TCNJ).
Syracuse Orange 2-1-0, 6 GS, 0 GA, +6 GD, 7 Pts
Clark Cougars, 1-2-0 3 GS, 2 GA, +1 GD, 5 Pts
TCNJ Lions 1-1-1, 4 GS, 3 GA, +1 GD, 4 Pts
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights 0-0-3, 1 GS, 9 GA, -8 GD, 0 Pts
3/28/2015
Syracuse 4-0 FDU
Bobby J. 13’, 82’, James G. 30’, Courtney R. 66’
Kaila S. red card for FDU (33’)
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
3/29/2015
Clark 1-1 TCNJ
Jordan J. 76’; Jimmy H. 84’
Fitton Stadium, Worcester, MA
4/2/2015
Syracuse 0-0 Clark
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
4/3/2015
TCNJ 3-0 FDU
Briana O. 30’, 71’, Tara R. 42’
Caroline N. red card for FDU (62’)
Lions Stadium, Ewing, NJ
4/8/2015
FDU 1-2 Clark
Christian M.B. 90’; Jameson P. 61’, Ariel M.K. 77’
RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
TCNJ 0-2 Syracuse
James G. 45’+1, Julia M. 90’+2
Princeton Stadium, Princeton, NJ
Group D
Penn State (4.5), considered one of the favorites to win the tournament, surprisingly crashed out of the group stage with just 3 points, their only win coming in a 3-0 destruction of Michigan State (4), where striker Emily H. scored a brace before her transfer to Emerson College the next school year. The Nittany Lions were eliminated after a 1-0 upset loss to Bentley (4.5) which saw them reduced to nine men after red cards to Emily I. and Samantha R. The Falcons, a D2 school, surprisingly topped the group with 7 points. Boulder (4) followed them with 4 points, with a 2-1 upset away to Penn State and a 1-1 home draw with Bentley enough to see them through. Michigan State were already eliminated before winning their final game against the Buffaloes.
Bentley Falcons 2-1-0, 4 GS, 1 GA, +3 GD, 7 Pts
Colorado Buffaloes 1-1-1, 5 GS, 5 GA, 0 GD, 4 Pts
Penn State Nittany Lions 1-0-2, 4 GS, 3 GA, +1 GD, 3 Pts
Michigan State Spartans 1-0-2, 3 GS, 7 GA, -4 GD, 3 Pts
3/29/2015
Penn State 1-2 CU-Boulder
Jon F. 21’; Zach D. 42’, Jordan R. 78’
Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Michigan State 0-2 Bentley
Ian J. 37’, Johnny D. 81’
Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
4/3/2015
Penn State 3-0 Michigan State
Emily H. 20’, 53’, Alexander M. 90’+3
Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
CU-Boulder 1-1 Bentley
Sabrina C. 25’; Walter A. 73’
Folsom Field, Boulder, CO
4/8/2015
CU-Boulder 2-3 Michigan State
Jordan R. 38’, Jack L. 86’; Kevin S. 3’, 5’, Charley H. 80’
DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX
Bentley 1-0 Penn State
Ronald T. 70’
Emily I. straight red card for Penn State (26’), Samantha R. second yellow for Penn State (68’)
Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA
great to hear your update, LBad! Glad you are doing so well…
Group E
Stetson (3.5) qualified for the Sweet 16 with one game remaining after impressive road victories over both Miami Ohio and Loyola Maryland (both 4); however, it was Fordham (4.5*) who topped the group, as expected, on goal difference after a tight 1-0 win over the Hatters. Loyola were reduced to ten players in their loss to Stetson after left back Lauren A. saw straight red for an irresponsible challenge with just over ten minutes left. Miami Ohio snatched an impressive win over the Rams at Yankee Stadium in a game which Fordham finished a man down after incoming Tulane University transfer Catherine K. picked up two yellow cards in just a seven-minute span near the end of the first half, with Lauren O. scoring the game-winner off the ensuing set piece. However, needing a win in their final game against Loyola, the RedHawks lost 3-1 and went out with the Greyhounds.
Fordham Rams 2-0-1, 3 GS, 1 GA, +2 GD, 6 Pts
Stetson Hatters 2-0-1, 4 GS, 3 GA, +1 GD, 6 Pts
Loyola Maryland Greyhounds 1-0-2, 4 GS, 5 GA, -1 GD, 3 Pts
Miami Ohio RedHawks 1-0-2, 3 GS, 5 GA, -2 GD, 3 Pts
3/30/2015
Fordham 2-0 Loyola MD
Catherine K. 8’, Jessica C. 48’
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Miami OH 1-2 Stetson
Madison Y. 14’; Jesus A. 52’, Zane S. 83’
Yager Stadium, Oxford, OH
4/4/2015
Fordham 0-1 Miami OH
Lauren O. 40’
Catherine K. second yellow for Fordham (38’)
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Loyola MD 1-2 Stetson
Elena S. 88’; Jesus A. 25’, Courtney P. 74’
Lauren A. straight red for Loyola (79’)
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
4/9/2015
Loyola MD 3-1 Miami OH
Jess C. 21’, Kassina 56’, Kyle R. 87’; Lauren O. 71’
Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
Stetson 0-1 Fordham
Jessica C. 80’
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Group F
Pittsburgh (4.5) dominated the Group of Death, having picked up the maximum number of points, scoring 10 goals and conceding only once. UNC Wilmington (4) also advanced with relatively little trouble, decimating a dispirited William Paterson (2) 4-0 in the opener courtesy of an Olivia C. hat trick before dismantling highly-favored ten-man Florida State 3-0 in the most watched first round match to finish as runners-up. The Seminoles (4), having only scored in a 5-0 thrashing of WPU (with an Andreia S. hat trick), were seen as one of the LBad Cup’s biggest disappointments. The Pioneers’ tournament was marred by bad fortune and awful indiscipline and unrest within the squad. Star keeper Tyler C. walked out on the team and defected to Rowan University hours before their opening game, which saw star forward Ashley N. pick up a hamstring injury. Six players were sent home before their final match, in addition to three more seeing red during the game itself. They went home without a point, scoring no goals and conceding fifteen to guarantee themselves as the worst team in the tournament.
Pittsburgh Panthers 3-0-0, 10 GS, 1 GA, +9 GD, 9 Pts
UNC Wilmington Seahawks 2-0-1, 8 GS, 2 GA, +6 GD, 6 Pts
Florida State Seminoles 1-0-2, 5 GS, 5 GA, 0 GD, 3 Pts
William Paterson Pioneers 0-0-3, 0 GS, 15 GA, -15 GD, 0 Pts
3/30/2015
Pittsburgh 2-0 Florida State
Emily P. 22’, Alexander S. 76’
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
3/31/2015
UNCW 4-0 WPU
Olivia C. 1’, 4’, 75’, Kalila 20’
UNCW Soccer Stadium, Wilmington, NC
4/4/2015
Pittsburgh 2-1 UNCW
Mary G. 64’, Kelvin T. 71’; Jordyn K. 73’
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
4/5/2015
Florida State 5-0 WPU
Andreia S. 3’, 4’, 44’, Kevin C. 60’, John F. 63’
Ernest M. straight red for WPU (29’)
Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
4/9/2015
Florida State 0-3 UNCW
Katie S. 72’, Jordyn K. 77’, Malik B. 82’
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
WPU 0-6 Pittsburgh
Don’t even need to go over who scored.
Too much indiscipline from WPU to measure.
They didn’t play at a football stadium.
Group G
Academically-favored Northeastern (4.5) made easy and short work of Group G, winning the group with a game to spare. Butler (4) were saved from the jaws of elimination in their second game at home against Monmouth (3) before defeating Seton Hall (3) in their final game to advance. The Pirates drew 2-2 with Monmouth in their opening game at Red Bull Arena for their lone point in the competition, and had goalkeeper Kamran M. sent off in the loss to Northeastern. Monmouth also exited without a win.
Northeastern Huskies 3-0-0, 8 GS, 3 GA, +6 GD, 9 Pts
Butler Bulldogs 1-1-1, 4 GS, 4 GA, 0 GD, 4 Pts
Monmouth Hawks 0-2-1, 3 GS, 4 GA, -1 GD, 2 Pts
Seton Hall Pirates 0-1-2, 3 GS, 7 GA, -4 GD, 1 Pt
3/31/2015
Northeastern 3-2 Butler
Ben H. 57’, Darko 73’ (pen.), Alek 90’+1; Frank I. 36’, Lisa S. 90’+ 3 (own goal)
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
Seton Hall 2-2 Monmouth
Yasmine B. 50’, Pamela C. 80’; Julie D. 16’, Amanda D. 33’
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
4/5/2015
Northeastern 4-1 Seton Hall
Amanda C. 31’, Lisa S. 44’, Ben H. 61’ (pen.), Vinicius 85’; James J. 20’
Kamran M. straight red for Seton Hall (60’)
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
Butler 1-1 Monmouth
Frank I. 89’; Julie D. 37’
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
4/10/2015
Butler 1-0 Seton Hall
Jacob A. 24’
U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
Monmouth 0-1 Northeastern
Darko 38’
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Group H
Labelled the Group of Life for being the on-paper weakest group in the tourney, Group H was won by Quinnipiac (3.5) with 7 points. Hofstra (3) finished second with 4 points, edging Montclair (2.5) out on goal difference. The Red Hawks won national respect after holding QU to a draw in their opener, but a 3-1 loss to the Pride in their second match proved to be their undoing. Pace (2) were eliminated with 1 point and only scored on a controversial last minute penalty from Matija in their final game which only served to take Montclair down with them. The Setters also had keeper Zander K. sent off against QU.
Quinnipiac Bobcats 2-1-0, 5 GS, 1 GA, +4 GD, 7 Pts
Hofstra Pride 1-1-1, 3 GS, 3 GA, 0 GD, 4 Pts
Montclair State Red Hawks 1-1-1, 4 GS, 5 GA, -1 GD, 4 Pts
Pace Setters 0-1-2, 1 GS, 5 GA, -4 GD, 1 Pt
3/31/2015
Quinnipiac 1-1 Montclair
Grazie 88’; Sam O. 22’
Rentschler Stadium, East Hartford, CT
4/1/2015
Hofstra 0-0 Pace
Shuart Stadium, Hempstead, NY
4/5/2015
Quinnipiac 3-0 Pace
Nick G. 28’, 53’ (pen.), Jaycee S. 90’+2
Zander K. straight red for Pace (51’)
Rentschler Stadium, East Hartford, CT
4/6/2016
Montclair 1-3 Hofstra
Raquel H. 45’; Moises P. 39’, Kate B. 71’, Alexis S. 79’
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
4/10/2015
Montclair 2-1 Pace
Mike O. 54’, Theo B. 77’; Matija 90’+5 (pen.)
Meade Stadium, Kingston, RI
Hofstra 0-2 Quinnipiac
Alexandra F. 82’, Christina M. 85’
Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY
Knockout Stage
The top two teams from each group, 16 in total, advanced to the knockout stage to play in a single-elimination tournament. Similar to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the stages were divided into the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four. However, dissimilar to any college sports tournament, there was also a third place play-off between the two losing semifinalists. Also dissimilar was the absence of the golden goal rule; matches tied at the end of 90 minutes went to two 15-minute periods of extra time. If still tied at the end of extra time, a penalty shootout would commence.
Sweet 16
The second round provided even more surprises than the group stage. UMass, who had been earmarked as potential winners after dominating their group, fell to a shock 1-0 home loss to Rider in extra time. The only goal came in the 99th minute courtesy of midfielder Alexander H. Minuteman midfielder Eric F. was controversially sent off near the end of regulation after being wrongly adjudged to have dove in the box. Colorado keeper Alex K. stood very tall for 80 minutes in Syracuse before the Orange managed to score twice in three minutes. A late goal from Andrew G. proved nothing more than consolation for the Buffaloes in a 2-1 loss. The hosts Rutgers saw their journey end when Binghamton were awarded a controversial penalty near the end of extra time, scored by Nate B., which prevented a penalty shootout. The Bearcats had played much of the match with ten players after Ebony D. saw straight red early in the second half. Bentley put in a stirring display to ease past fellow Bay Staters Clark 3-0, all goals coming in the first half.
UNCW came back from a 2-1 halftime deficit to stun Fordham 4-2 at Yankee Stadium, with Kalila’s match-winning chip being one of the goals of the tournament. Northeastern, another pre-tournament favorite, led for only two minutes before being upset by Hofstra in an all-CAA affair. Pittsburgh led for an hour against Stetson at Heinz Field before a Bria T. equalizer sent the match to extra time. The Hatters upset the Panthers 3-2 in a penalty shootout; the result meant that all three teams who went perfect in the group stage (UMass, Pittsburgh, Northeastern) went home in the Sweet 16. Finally, Quinnipiac struggled to get past Butler until a Christina M. half-volley early in extra time secured an Elite 8 berth for the Bobcats.
4/12/2015
2:00 PM
UMass 0-1 Rider (aet)
Alexander H. 99’
Eric F. straight red for UMass 83’
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
5:00 PM
Syracuse 2-1 CU-Boulder
James G. 80’, Jeremy C. 83’; Andrew G. 90’+2
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
4/13/2015
3:00 PM
Binghamton 1-0 Rutgers
Nate B. 119’
Ebony D. straight red for Binghamton 51’
Rutgers Stadium, New Brunswick, NJ
12:00 PM
Bentley 3-0 Clark
Cam T. 6’, Victor A.M. 23’, Jared K. 37’
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
4/14/2015
8:00 PM
Fordham 2-4 UNCW
Anthony P. 17’, Catherine K. 33’; Olivia C. 40’, Miles R. 82’, Jordyn K. 86’, Kalila 89’
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
5:00 PM
Northeastern 1-2 Hofstra
Ben H. 64’; Lissy L. 66’, Kate B. 78’
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
4/15/2015
6:00 PM
Pittsburgh 1-1 Stetson (aet)
Kelly P. 39’; Bria T. 89’
Stetson win shootout 3-2
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
3:00 PM
Quinnipiac 2-1 Butler (aet)
Alexandra F. 9’, Christina M. 108’; Thomas L. 4’
Rentschler Stadium, East Hartford, CT
Elite 8
A “bracket shuffle” was put forth in order to best prevent the possibility of schools that had denied LBad reaching the Final Four of his tournament. All Elite 8 matches were played in neutral venues. The first quarterfinal saw Rider fight valiantly as the last New Jersey team remaining in the competition, only to fall 2-0 to Hofstra in a gut-wrenching extra time loss. The Seahawks recovered from an early setback to shock Syracuse, the only remaining favorites in the competition, by a 2-1 scoreline in Charlotte. Attacking midfielder Kalila’s second straight game-winner, a sensational last-minute free kick, was controversial in that Orange defender Katie L. was wrongly judged to have clipped Kalila on the edge of the box. Several 'Cuse players and their coach Greg H. came out in strong disapproval of referee Michael S.'s questionable decision-making after the match. Stetson took care of Binghamton 3-0 in the heat of South Carolina, all goals coming in the second half after Bearcats captain midfielder Mike R.'s sending off for a rash challenge on Stetson midfielder Courtney P. Bing also had winger Glenni R. break her shinbone shortly before halftime. Quinnipiac midfielder Grazie scored the equalizer and later the winning penalty to end D2 Bentley’s run 4-2 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw.
4/17/2015
5:00 PM
Rider 0-2 Hofstra (aet)
Moises P. 100’, Justin F. (own goal) 111’
Rutgers Stadium, New Brunswick, NJ
8:00 PM
Syracuse 1-2 UNCW
Kenny F. 3’; Brooke R. 68’, Kalila 90’+2
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
4/18/2015
4:00 PM
Binghamton 0-3 Stetson
Jesus A. 49’, Courtney P. 66’, Alyssa L. 70’
Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
7:00 PM
Bentley 1-1 Quinnipiac (aet)
Ian J. 9’; Grazie 42’
Quinnipiac win shootout 4-2
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
Final 4
UNCW’s quarterfinal victory over Syracuse guaranteed that the LBad Cup-winning school would win a very first title in their university’s history. They unsurprisingly defeated CAA rivals Hofstra 3-0 in the first semifinal in Harrison, NJ. The Seahawks dominated proceedings, commanding the midfield with 75% of the possession and allowing only one Pride shot on goal. In the second semifinal, Stetson’s fairy tale was halted in a 1-0 loss to Quinnipiac in Philadelphia, the lone, decisive goal from a first-half penalty scored by Bobcats left winger and captain Nick G.
4/21/2015
8:00 PM
Hofstra 0-3 UNCW
Matt M. 12’, Olivia C. 46’, Kyle W. 60’
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
4/22/2015
8:00 PM
Stetson 0-1 Quinnipiac
Nick G. 34’
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Third place play-off
Stetson and Hofstra had an equal share of possession and chances, but it was the Hatters who broke the deadlock with less than a half hour remaining through a Nicole H. penalty. That proved to be the game’s only goal. Stetson, predicted by most to finish bottom of their group, received the bronze medals after the game, with Hofstra left medal-less in fourth place.
4/25/2015
5:00 PM
Hofstra 0-1 Stetson
Nicole H. 62’
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
What school did you end up going to? Sorry didn’t want to read through everything
Final
Main article: 2015 LBad Cup Final
After all the upsets, shocks, heartbreaks, and goals, the inaugural LBad Cup had reached its climax. The UNC Wilmington Seahawks against the Quinnipiac Bobcats in the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford for the right to officially name LBad as a member of their Class of 2019. LBad had signed a “double-down” contract prior to the match; the contract stated that LBad could not transfer from the winning school at any point in his college career unless extreme extenuating circumstances (such as financial instability or severe illness) warranted such a move. Furthermore, if LBad did need to transfer, he could not go to the losing finalist. It was the first-ever meeting between UNCW and Quinnipiac in any sport. Both universities were also seeking their first-ever national trophy; it was the Seahawks’ first-ever final in school history, while the Bobcats looked to make amends for the men’s ice hockey team’s 4-0 humiliation at the hands of arch-rivals Yale in 2013.
UNCW, in all-teal and lined up in the successful diamond 4-4-2, grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck in the early proceedings, going 2-0 up in the first 17 minutes. Speedy North Carolinian midfield maestro Kalila received a fine pass from star striker Olivia C. before calmly passing the ball past QU goalkeeper Jack C. for her fourth goal of the tournament in the 11th minute. Six minutes later, the roles were reversed when Kalila’s lofted through ball enabled the skillful New Yorker to score her sixth goal of the tournament. The yellow-and-blue striped Quinnipiac, whose formation was a 4-3-3, struggled to get on the ball in the first half and registered only a single tepid attempt from Nutmegger forward Alexandra F. Bay Stater left winger and captain Nick G, Rhode Islander right winger Christina M., and New Jerseyan attacking mid Grazie, all key players throughout the tournament, were very frustrated with the lack of time on the ball afforded to them by UNCW’s sturdy and physical defense.
The Bobcats made two halftime changes; top center back Cassie C. was forced off due to hamstring injury and replaced by Donald M., and the uncharacteristically ineffective defensive mid Bryn J. was switched out in favor of the more balanced Jill S. UNCW nearly made it 3-0 in the 54’ minute when forward Malik B.'s header was punched wide by Jack. QU, however, began to get a little more comfortable on the ball as a result of the Jill sub, and this told when they nicked one back from Nick’s header (pun intended) on 63 minutes. It was after this when UNCW made a switch of their own, with Maci replacing fellow New Jerseyan Kyle W. Olivia, Kalila, Wilmington native Jordyn K. and NJ-born Georgian Matt M. all missed gilt-edge chances to put the game away before New Yorker center mid Jaycee S. snatched an surprising equalizer (her second of the tournament) for QU to send the final to extra time.
The beginning of the extra time period saw two crucial substitutions for each side. New Jerseyan forward Graham H. was making his LBad Cup debut for UNCW, replacing Malik. On the other end, Christina was replaced by Bay Stater right winger Ashley V., also making her tournament debut. It was Ashley who had the more immediate impact of the two changes, playing a great 1-2 with Alexandra before slotting it past Seahawks keeper Dyshon to give Quinnipiac a 96th minute lead that, only an hour earlier, had looked as likely as a New York Knicks championship.
QU controlled the tempo after that goal and for much of the second half of extra time, and looked set to seal a seemingly improbable come-from-behind victory against the comeback masters themselves when referee Ken M. whistled for a penalty with six minutes remaining. However, captain Nick smashed the ball off the crossbar and over. Defensive lapses caused the Bobcats to themselves concede an equalizer in the 118th minute when Maci smashed in a loose ball from an Olivia corner. Then, just as the entire stadium was gearing up for penalty kicks, Graham stunned the world with a sumptuous volley that flew into Jack’s top corner in the dying seconds. UNCW then subbed on center back Shane C. for Olivia, which proved to be the very final action of the match. The final whistle aroused ferocious roars on the teal end and screams of despair on the yellow-and-blue end. The match ended 4-3, and UNC Wilmington were crowned the first-ever LBad Cup champions. It was the first (and so far only) national title in the history of the University of North Carolina Wilmington, as well as the first national title won by a North Carolina university outside of the traditional “Big Four” of Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, Wake Forest and NC State.
Quinnipiac players were absolutely inconsolable at the sound of the final whistle. Nick G., who had befriended LBad prior to the start of the tournament, was especially distraught. The loss meant that they could never have such a chance ever again. Coach Al C. retired the next morning, and the Hamden Journal described the match as “the Greatest Comeback Loss of All-Time”.
LBad and his other four immediate family members themselves were all invited out by UNCW captain Katie and coach Marcio M. to raise the trophy. Katie gave LBad the captain’s armband as a mark of respect. All 23 of UNCW’s squad members as well as LBad wore a teal UNCW number 19 jersey, each with their own names on the back. LBad had let out a massive scream as he, his parents and younger siblings all lifted the golden trophy together. Teal confetti and streamers rained down in MetLife, and the Wilmington Star News read the next morning, “Seahawks take flight, crash, and soar again in New Jersey”.
4/26/2015
UNCW 4-3 Quinnipiac
Kalila 11’, Olivia 17’, Maci 118’, Graham H. 120’+1; Nick G. 63’, Jaycee S. 89’, Ashley V. 96’
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Aftermath
UNCW’s upwards momentum continued in the 2015-16 academic year. A new chancellor, Jose “Zito” Sartarelli, came in the same time as LBad’s class to usher in a new era in the Port City after years of administrative turmoil. Sartarelli assumed his role in July 2015 was formally installed in March 2016. The university welcomed its most academically accomplished freshman class in its history, with students averaging a 4.1 GPA and a 1200 (CR+M) on the SAT. Athletically, the school had an impressive year as well. The volleyball and women’s soccer teams qualified for the NCAA tournament in their respective sports in the fall. The women’s soccer team set a school record of 15 wins and advanced to the CAA semifinals, which was good enough for an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament. They upset the South Carolina Gamecocks 2-0 in Columbia before falling to the Virginia Cavaliers by the same score in the next round. Volleyball won their first-ever CAA championship before falling to fierce UNC system rivals, the Tarheels, in the first round of NCAA play. In the spring, the baseball team advanced all the way to Super Regionals for the second straight season, but lost to South Carolina when they got there. Most notably, however, was the exploits of the men’s basketball team. The team set a school-record 11-game win streak en route to a 25-8 record and a share of the CAA regular-season title. They would then go on to beat College of Charleston, Northeastern, and Hofstra in OT to win their fifth CAA conference championship and return to March Madness for the first time in a decade. The Seahawks gave in-state private rivals Duke a huge fight, leading by three at halftime. However, Duke’s favorites tag caught up to them, and they wound up losing 85-77 and were eliminated in the first round. LBad96 himself obtained a solid 3.2 GPA in his freshman year of college, and was named a Seahawk Link for the Fall 2016 semester.
@NitikS there you go. Lol.
Did anyone else enjoy that (slightly altered) trip down memory lane as much as I did? 
Thank you so much, @1203southview!! I appreciate your loyal following as well! I hope your son enjoyed a strong finish to his first year at Columbia!!
Also, an update on the pursuit of my summer accounting class at my local CC. I actually wound up missing the entire first week of class (4 days a week) and fell behind; there was a test on my own class debut, which my professor let me take home (I got an 80). Having to catch up to everyone else while trying to go along with what they were doing became a struggle. Maintaining focus is actually harder to do in a summer class than it is in a regular semester course. I finished the class a few weeks ago and am relieved to say that I did well enough to obtain the credit. Crucially, this means that I avoid having to take Accounting 201 at UNCW this fall! I feel proud of myself for knocking out such a tough requirement. Also, I’ve made a good friend from the class who actually attends the CC year-round. Talk about an unlikely source of friendship.
Outside of the class and watching the 2016 European Championships as well as Copa America Centenario, I’ve had a pretty quiet summer. Haven’t been able to really hang out with my hometown friends as much as I anticipated, and keeping up with my college friends outside of social media has also been tougher than I would have liked. Walking around downtown has become an incredible bore these days; even my CC friend, who was a frequent out-of-town visitor to the local Starbucks in his high school days, finds it all to have gotten very old. I also find myself sometimes struggling with my awkward/bad high school memories, and I still catch myself in downtrodden moods about it on occasion. I only feel like this when I’m up here, and manage to completely tune out anything about high school among my college friends. Keeping those two worlds completely separate and distant, which is the way I like it.
Thankfully, though, just a couple of more weeks in New Jersey until I head back to Wilmington to begin my sophomore year! So, so excited to start back up in the fall again! Especially can’t wait to be a Seahawk Link peer mentor and to hopefully rush and pledge a fraternity in the fall!! I hope to make a big impact on whichever UNI class I end up mentoring and be the best link I can be. I have a feeling that this year will be my best year yet. At the very least, it will obliterate my sophomore year of high school.
Three students from my high school’s Class of 2016 are coming to UNCW in about three weeks from now. That’s as many students as there are HS alumni currently at the school (counting myself). I like to think that I played a part in the sudden resurgence with my copious Seahawk pride. 
According to Naviance (I signed in a couple of days ago), nine students applied this year, one less than last year, but five got in, which is two more than last year.
If anyone reading this thread is a rising senior or has a child who’s a rising senior, or is a prospective transfer student considering UNCW, PLEASE come and ask me some questions in my thread in the “University of North Carolina - Wilmington” subforum entitled “Ask a current UNCW student”! I’d love nothing more than to help others learn about my beloved school and hopefully attract more prospects to come here!!
WINGS UP!!!
Don’t know why whenever I update this thread it’s always late lol. Anyways, happy 20th to me!!!
Damn it, missed it by a second -_-
Happy birthday! What’s up?
Thanks @MYOS1634! Here’s an update:
Got back to school on the same day that I started college last year, August 15th. Only that this time, it happened to be the Monday before classes started. In terms of classes, I’m taking Calculus, Macroeconomics, French 102, Sociology 105, and Political Science 205 (Campaigns and Elections). Doing pretty well to start out. Which is good, because I need to raise my GPA to a 3.5 overall or else I go back home to Rutgers next year. Oh, how I’d despise that so much!
Unfortunately, I could not be a Seahawk Link this year. 
Long story short, through no fault of my own, I was unable to make it down in time for training. While it really sucks that I can’t do it this year, the bright side is that I’m only a sophomore, so I have plenty of time to do it. A freshman girl also considers me her own personal mentor, which I guess is sweet. Only that she didn’t wish me a happy birthday yesterday. 
I’ve also not joined a fraternity…yet. Not entirely sure that it would work out super well this semester, what with my taking Calculus and all. Also am job hunting. But I am still definitely considering it for next semester, especially because my parents said they can pay for it. Which is good. But it stinks that I won’t get to be a part of Alpha Sig’s alpha pledge class. Haven’t gone to party yet this semester either, which blows.
Missed three consecutive days of class this past week with a cold and a fever. Getting back to health now is very important. Never good to be missing class at all. This past week wasn’t all that great. This semester has been a little on and off, to be honest with you. Started with new confidence and much-improved social skills, but haven’t been able to party yet. But hey, at least Papa John’s paid for my order yesterday when I told them it was my 20th.
That’s all I have for now. Hope it all works out.
Belated Happy 20th LBad!!! I hope you have a great year ahead. Keep up the great attitude and enthusiasm… it will help you so much in your endeavors. I’ll be sending positive thoughts your way.
Sorry to hear you’ve been sick. Make sure to get a note from The campus clinic so that your absences are legit /excused.
Happy belated 20th! I hope you get to celebrate
Rather than paying for a fraternity, make sure the money is there for all payments toward tuition and room/board.
3.5 is high. Wow.
However it should make you eligible for scholarships so buckle down.
@MYOS1634 It’s all legit, don’t worry! And how would Phi Sigma Pi this semester sound? No pledging, no hazing, etc.
@1203southview thanks so much! It’s hard to always keep positive, though.
Also, happy (belated) 69th birthday, UNCW!!! Thanks so much for enriching my life in the little over one year I’ve attended so far; here’s to many more years of GOATness shared together.
WINGS UP!!!
Hey all! Noticed that I’ve not updated this thread in quite a while. Let me do that now.
Seahawk Journal (early January 2017): Happy New Year to all! Hope everyone had a great holiday season.
It is the eve of the Spring 2017 semester at UNCW and I got back on campus this evening after a long drive with a fellow OOS friend from CT. Let me tell you that I am VERY excited to hit the ground running in my fourth semester of college! I’m happy to say that I have obtained an on-campus job in my school’s library, and I am also finally rushing this semester. Greatly looking forward to earning some cash working 10 hours a week and (possibly) giving my social life a needed boost as well.
I really like my schedule this semester: MWF I have Creative Writing 201, 9:30-10:45 AM (not on Fridays), Philosophy & Religion 101, 11-11:50 AM, and Music 116 (History of Jazz), 12-12:50 PM. TR I have History 106 (US History 1865-present), 8-9:15 AM, Geology 101, 11-12:15 PM, and Geology Lab, 12:30-2:20 PM (Thursdays only). I’m finished with all my core business prereqs as of the end of last semester, so I’m taking 16 credits of gen-eds this semester. It’ll be interesting to see my first 8AM class since senior year of high school two years ago (which was, coincidentally, also a history class). All my professors are very highly rated on RMP. I may be taking my largest load yet, but I have a very good feeling about this. Every day of the week I get out before 3:00, four of them I get out before 1:00. This is definitely preferable to last semester where I didn’t finish class until 5:00 Monday thru Thursday. I believe this schedule will set me up well this semester with what else I have going on.
Finished last semester with an A- in Sociology 105, a B+ in PLS 205 (Campaigns and Elections), two B’s in French 102 and Macroeconomics, and a C+ in Calculus. That gave me a 3.1 for the semester, and I’m currently at a 3.15 cumulative. I was a little disappointed that my PoliSci, French, and especially Calc grades weren’t higher, but was happy to see my Econ grade end up where it did. On the social side of things, I became a founding member of the Seahawk Club, the athletic donor club on campus, and I also joined the Screamin’ Seahawks, the athletic fan club. Last semester was the toughest one yet, but I’m relieved that it’s over and am eager to start the new semester tomorrow (well, later this morning seeing as it’s just past midnight as I type this! :P).
It’s nearly head-spinning how the end of this semester will mark the halfway point in my college career already. I’ve very much enjoyed it so far, and certainly plan on keeping it that way. Oh, and the Seahawks have started the season 15-2, which is always great!
WINGS UP!!!
Sounds like things are going well! Congratulations on your grades, finishing business pre-reqs, getting a good schedule, and finding a job!
Be careful with cumulating rushing and a job. Prioritize studies, then your job (although working in the library often means being paid to study!) But don’t discount how time consuming rushing can be and be ready to give that up if your grades suffer. “I had to go home and attend Rutgers because I wanted to rush” wouldn’t be awesome.
@MYOS1634 oh yeah, I’m going to be careful, definitely. I can’t afford to place all my eggs into rushing and completely neglect the very reason I’m here. As eager as I am to rush, I am willing to drop it if my grades aren’t where I want them to be. As always, thank you for the helpful advice!!
Will come back later when it’s confirmed by other members, but my top choice fraternity apparently isn’t holding any rush week events until late this month, and Meet the Greeks is on the 23rd. I signed up for rush on the UNCW IFC website, but is spring rush really THAT different from fall rush?