Kicking it up a notch ; UMass soccer a force in tourney - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

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AMHERST - There is little glamour surrounding the University ofMassachusetts men's soccer program. No All-Americans, no HermannTrophy candidates, nobody even has a full scholarship. But theMinutemen are thriving on their underdog identity as an unseededteam in the NCAA Division 1 Tournament.

Not even coach Sam Koch expected advancement to the third roundfor a team that had only one tournament win since the event startedin 1959. Koch even allowed his wife, Suzanne, to set up a familytrip to Disney World for Thanksgiving weekend. So, Koch's wife andthree of their four children missed UMass's first-ever postseasonhome game, a 2-1 victory over Boston University Nov. 23.

But Koch's family returned in time for the next game, and will bethere when the Minutemen (15-7-1) host Central Connecticut State (10-8-3) today at noon.

'Welcome to the dungeon,' Koch said, greeting a visitor in hisBoyden Building office last week.

Koch's office is in the basement, in keeping with the soccerprogram's low-profile status. Few people find their way to 'thedungeon' without guidance, and this time of year it is usuallydeserted as Koch hits the recruiting trail. But the routine changedafter UMass defeated Boston College, 2-1, in a second-round gamelast Wednesday, the first time the event's top seed had been knockedout in its opener.

'We matched up really well with [BC],' Koch said. 'And thepressure was on them. They were the champions of the ACC, the bestconference in the country. We wanted to win, but they had to win. Wecreated enough chances to win and controlled a lot of the secondhalf. BC is very good, but I am not sure they knew how good we canbe and by the time they figured it out it was too late.'

BC scored early and seemed in control. But the Minutemenmaintained their composure, held off the Eagles, then scored twiceoff corner kicks in the second half.

'I am Massachusetts born and raised [Concord], and proud of it,'Koch said. 'This is a blue-collar team and I am a blue-collarperson. We believe in doing things right, being hard-working,dedicated, disciplined, going by the rules, and we follow thosebeliefs day in and day out.

'Everyone knows their role and they have bought into their roleand they play together. You need a little luck also, but you've gotto make your own luck, and if you create enough chances the ball isgoing to bounce your way.'

Ten UMass players have scored this season, led by Bryan Hoganwith six goals. The team did not convert off a corner kick duringthe regular season, but has scored four times off corners in thepostseason.

Schools are allowed 10 scholarships by the NCAA, and those withless emphasis on the sport are required to be resourceful. Climatealso can be a factor, since seasons extend from September toDecember. Connecticut is the only New England team to have won theNCAA Division 1 men's title (1981 and 2000). But teams such as UMassare not helpless. The Minutemen team that made the NCAA Tournamentin 2001 included three players (Jeff Deren, Yuri Morales, PtahMyers) who now play professionally.

But Koch also must be realistic in his recruiting, and his teamreflects that the players are focusing on life after soccer.

'It is a positive for us because they are playing for the rightreasons,' said Koch. 'They are not being paid. They are here becausethey are in sports management, they are here because of the businessand engineering departments. They get a good education and they getto be in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. Theyappreciate the opportunity to be on the field.'

But not everything about UMass is hard-scrabble.

In 2002, Rudd Field was constructed on campus, providing theMinutemen a cozy but modern stadium with a well-manicured grassfield. UMass has a 7-1 record there this season and a 35-16-5 all-time mark. Since the program already has a dungeon, the Minutemenare extending their seige mentality to the field, nicknaming it'Fort Rudd.'

'We play with a lot of passion and intensity and we've hadsuccess there,' said junior goalkeeper Zack Simmons. 'It is tough toplay Thanksgiving weekend [about 500 spectators attended the BUmatch], but we created a little ripple in the community and [the winover BC] created a stir. Now we have to prove we deserve to be hereor we will be dismissed as a flash in the pan. We know CentralConnecticut is hot and they know how to win. But if we play the waywe can, that was good enough to beat the No. 1 seed.'

This was a strong year for New England collegiate soccer, withfour teams (No. 2 UConn, No. 4 Brown, No. 6 BC, and No. 15 Harvard)among the NCAA's ranked teams. And the tournament has producedsurprises from UMass and Central Conn. (8-0-1 since Oct. 19), whichhas knocked out Harvard and Tulsa. UConn hosts South Florida today.

'I don't know if the situation is going to change,' Koch said ofUMass's low-profile status. 'We just hope to continue to get theplayers we get and, most important, make sure they are qualitypeople.'