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SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 29:  The Nike match ball during the Barclays Premier League match between Sunderland and Chelsea at the Stadium of Light on November 29, 2014 in Sunderland, England.  (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images)
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 29: The Nike match ball during the Barclays Premier League match between Sunderland and Chelsea at the Stadium of Light on November 29, 2014 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images)Tony Marshall/Getty Images

College Cup 2014: Scores and Results from Soccer Championship Quarterfinals

Tom SunderlandDec 6, 2014

The hunt to reach this year's NCAA College Cup is reaching fever pitch, and four teams will take their place in the tournament's semifinals following Saturday's results.

An early win for UMBC over Creighton sees the Retrievers take their spot in the semifinals, with three places remaining in the quest to make this year's national championship fixture.

Read on for up-to-date coverage of Saturday's quarterfinal fixtures and how the semifinal platform is shaping up in the 2014 contest.

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DateResult
Dec. 5UMBC 0-0 Creighton AET (UMBC wins 4-3 on penalties)
Dec. 6Providence 3, Michigan State 2
Dec. 6Virginia 1-1 Georgetown AET (Virginia wins 5-4 on penalties)
Dec. 6North Carolina vs. UCLA

Virginia Comes From Behind to Oust Georgetown

The upsets kept on coming during Saturday's Elite Eight slate as No. 16 Virginia eliminated No. 8 Georgetown behind an improbable comeback.

The match went to overtime tied at 1-1 before the Cavaliers ultimately prevailed 5-4 on penalty kicks. According to Virginia soccer's official Twitter account, this victory continues a long Final Four tradition for the Cavaliers:

Following a goal by Hoyas forward Austin Martz in the 59th minute, Georgetown appeared headed toward the Final Four with a 1-0 lead. The Hoyas held that advantage throughout the entire second half, but one momentary defensive lapse changed everything.

With mere seconds remaining, Virginia midfielder Todd Wharton found a bit of space and managed to beat Georgetown goalkeeper Tomas Gomez to knot the game at 1-1 and send it to overtime.

Despite having the momentum, the Cavaliers were under siege for much of the overtime period. The were able to avoid disaster, though, as senior goalkeeper Calle Brown stood tall:

Brown was the difference in the penalty shootout as well. The two teams trading goals on each of their first four attempts, and Virginia took the lead 5-4. The Hoyas needed a goal from midfielder Arun Basuljevic to extend the shootout, but Brown turned him away and sent his squad to the Final Four.

It was a huge, character-building win for the Cavs, and it should bode well for them as they prepare to face underdog UMBC in the national semis.

Providence Upsets Michigan State in High-Scoring Affair

In the second of four Elite Eight matchups contested Saturday, No. 11 Providence held on to defeat No. 3 Michigan State by a score of 3-2 at DeMartin Soccer Complex in East Lansing, Michigan.

With the victory, the Friars have now had the most successful season in team history by reaching the Final Four, according to Kyle McCarthy of Fox Soccer:

Saturday's match got off to a dream start for the Spartans as forward Adam Montague scored just eight minutes in to give Michigan State a 1-0 lead and whip the home crowd into a frenzy.

Providence has shown a great deal of resolve all season long, however, and it was once again on display in the Elite Eight.

The Spartans led for most of the first half, but the Friars broke through in the 37th minute with a goal from midfielder Daniel Neustadter. Then, just five minutes later, midfielder Dominik Machado put Providence up 2-1 ahead of halftime.

Michigan State defender Ryan Keener knew what his team needed to do in order to have success prior to Saturday's match, per Matthew Argillander of The State News, but they fell short in that regard.

"(Providence is a) very talented team, they share with us (our) hard-working blue collar mentality," Keener said. "I think we need to stick to what we do best ... if we stay sound defensively and keep everything tight on set pieces then I think we'll give ourselves a shot."

The Spartans' defensive struggles continued in the second half as striker Fabio Machado notched an insurance marker for the Friars in the 62nd minute.

Michigan State answered eight minutes later with a goal from midfielder Jay Chapman, but Providence was able to hold on for the remainder of the match and pull off the biggest win in the history of the program.

With the Friars through to the next round, they will face the winner of Saturday night's clash between No. 2 UCLA and North Carolina in the Final Four.

UMBC Downs Creighton After Penalty Shootout Finish

Unseeded UMBC became the first team to take its place in the College Cup semifinals on Friday evening after a scoreless draw was left to be decided on spot kicks.

After 110 minutes, the two sides had failed to produce a winner, as 12th-seeded Creighton couldn't make their favorites tag coming into this matchup tell.

Senior Kay Banjo struck the decisive winner for Pete Caringi's side, who will now face either Virginia or Georgetown next Friday evening.

Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Billy Heavner saved Creighton's first attempt from 12 yards, and after the tallies were leveled at three penalties apiece, the crowd went wild as Banjo fired home to cement UMBC's progress:

It was a day for the two stoppers to be thrown into the firing line, and although Heavner will proceed as the star No. 1 from this clash, Creighton keeper Connor Sparrow had his share of highlights, too.

Steve Berkowitz of USA Today noted that defense has been the foundation of this team's success:

Both defenses were tested in what proved to be a back-and-forth game lacking in clinical attempts on goal, and the Retrievers held firm in extra time to keep their hopes of an upset alive.

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