MLS LA Galaxy

Galaxy Sports Rich Tradition in NCAA Men's College Cup

Published on October 29, 2004 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
LA Galaxy News Release


CARSON, CA (October 29, 2004) - The Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, who play their home games at The Home Depot Center in Carson, have five players on their roster - Cobi Jones (UCLA - 1990); Sasha Victorine (UCLA - 1997); Peter Vagenas (UCLA - 1997); Scot Thompson (UCLA - 2002) and Ned Grabavoy (Indiana - 2003) - who have been a part of a NCAA national championship soccer squad. Additionally, Galaxy Head Coach Steve Sampson was the coach for Santa Clara when they were named co-champions (with Virginia) in 1989.

This December the NCAA's top college soccer teams will travel to The Home Depot Center as the next college soccer national champion will be crowned as part of the 2004 NCAA Men's Soccer College Cup. The semi-final games for the tournament are scheduled to take place on Friday, December 10, at 5 p.m. and at 7:30 p.m. The championship game will take place on December 12 at 1 p.m.

With this year's College Cup being the first in the state of California since Stanford hosted the Championships in 1981, and the first championship to be held west of Texas since the 1986 Championships were held in Tacoma, mentions of the tournament brought back a lot of good memories for Sampson and several of his L.A. players.

Cobi Jones: "It is a big stepping ground for a lot of the players. It is an honor for all the players to be a part of it. I think it is about time it comes west. Everyone thinks of back east as the soccer mecca of the United States. The west coast has shown over the past 15 or 20 years that it deserves to have an event like this out here."

Peter Vagenas: "As a student-athlete - it is the most important thing. It is why you train everyday, it is why you wake up every morning and go through preseasons. It is important because there are so many teams vying for it - it is the pinnacle of sports. It is something I will always hold dear to me. I have my College Cup ring right next to my MLS Championship ring. I think it is great that it will be out west this year. This is a hotbed of soccer and The Home Depot Center is the best facility in the country for soccer."

Ned Grabavoy: "For all college players there are different games that have significance whether it is a rivalry or a conference championship. Everyone is playing the whole season to make the NCAA tournament but the ultimate goal is the final four - the games are on ESPN and for college players it is the highest level you can play at. The Home Depot Center is a great venue for it. I don't think the weather will have much of an effect for the game but it is a great soccer community out here."

Sasha Victorine: "You will always remember the guys you share that championship with. It is the ultimate feeling that you have a group of guys who worked hard and put everything in for their team and their school. It is something that you remember forever. I'm excited to see the College Cup being played here. It will be exciting for a lot of fans here who don't get the opportunity to travel back east and see the College Cup and the excitement about it."

Steve Sampson: "To participate in the College Cup was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life and I've experienced a lot. The enthusiasm of the athletes, the fact that they are amateur players who are playing for just pure pride - for themselves, for their team and their institution - makes that competition very refreshing. So much talent has come out of the NCAA championships in recent years that we, as professional coaches, consider it one of our most important places to recruit from. I believe that the competition continues to get better and better. The fans will find that if they take the time to come and watch the College Cup that they are going to see some very entertaining soccer. The teams will be pleasantly surprised with the climate and this wonderful facility, The Home Depot Center, that was built for soccer."

Tickets for this year's event, in which UCLA serves as the host institution and partner with AEG, are currently on sale and begin as low as $20 for a two-day package. Two-day packages and group tickets can be purchased at The Home Depot Center Box Office, through TicketMaster outlets and by calling 866-LA-GROUP or visiting www.aeggrouptickets.com.

The complete 48-team tournament field, along with the Top 16 seeds who receive a first-round bye, will be announced on November 15. The first round of games will take place on November 19-20, with the second round of games set for November 23. All preliminary round games, including the third round and quarterfinals, set for November 27-28 and December 3-5, respectively, take place at host site campuses, with the four winners advancing to The Home Depot Center.

UCLA (9-2-2) is currently ranked No. 6 by Soccer America while University California -Santa Barbara (12-2-1) is ranked No. 9. Three other California schools - Santa Clara (No. 13), California (No. 18),) and Stanford (tied for No. 23) - are ranked in the Top 25. Last year's NCAA Men's Soccer College Cup champion, Indiana, is currently ranked No. 5.

Check out the LA Galaxy Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from October 29, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central