CSUN Takes Long Way to Final Four of Soccer

The Cal State Northridge soccer team suffered a loss of sorts before it played a game in the NCAA Division II Final Four when a selection committee Tuesday chose the University of Tampa over CSUN as the site for the Dec. 5-6 tournament.

CSUN (18-1-1), ranked No. 1 in Division II, will play second-ranked Tampa (16-2-1) in one semifinal. Sixth-ranked Southern Connecticut State (15-1-3) plays third-ranked Missouri-St. Louis (17-3-1) in the other semifinal.

The committee makes its selection based on field conditions, revenue potential and the cost of transporting and housing three teams.

CSUN won the West regional with a 1-0 win last Friday over two-time defending national champion Seattle Pacific. Tampa ranked No. 2, beat the Florida Institute of Technology, 2-1, to win the Southern regional.

“We wanted it to be here, but I had a feeling it would be in Tampa,” said CSUN Coach Marwan Ass’ad, whose team is making its first semifinal appearance. “Our field is in pretty bad shape and it caused some turnovers and poor control against Seattle Pacific.

“I don’t think that playing on the road will hurt us. I feel most sorry for our fans.”

Tampa Coach Tom Fitzgerald had mixed emotions about playing host to the tournament even though his team stands to benefit from a partisan crowd at Tampa’s 3-year-old Pepin/Rood Stadium, which is used only for soccer.

“Personally, I’ve never been to L. A. and I would have liked to come out there,” Fitzgerald said. “It makes it easier to concentrate on the team and game when you’re on the road, but all in all we’re very happy it’s here.”

Tampa, which is in the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years, is a defense-oriented team that recorded 12 shutouts this season. The Spartans have won five in a row, including 1-0 season-ending wins over Akron, the 1985 Division I runner-up, and American University, the Division I runner-up last season.

Senior forward Chris Sullivan leads Tampa with 13 goals and six assists. Freshman forward Chris Egger is second with seven goals. Senior goalkeeper Frank Arlasky has a 0.68 goals-against average.