NCAA SOCCER : Top-Ranked Indiana Challenges Titans for Final Four Berth

Only two teams have a chance to return to the final four of NCAA men’s soccer next week at Davidson, N.C., for the second consecutive time.

Cal State Fullerton (14-6-2) is one and defending three-time national champion Virginia is the other.

The Titans, however, will face a big hurdle today when they play top-ranked Indiana (21-2) on the Hoosiers’ home field in an 11 a.m. (PST) quarterfinal match. One of Indiana’s two losses was to Fullerton, 3-2 in overtime, in the UCLA MetLife tournament in late October.

Cal State Fullerton has made arrangements for the game to be broadcast live on KMNY radio (AM 1600). Rick Davis, coach and general manager of the Salsa, will be one of the announcers.

Fullerton has won two consecutive playoff games in overtime, stopping San Diego and San Francisco on the Titans’ home field. The Titans haven’t been beaten in seven games. Fullerton’s 4-3 overtime victory over UC Irvine started the Titans on a roll that includes only one tie, 2-2, against Notre Dame.

The game shapes up as a battle between Fullerton’s strong offense against Indiana’s formidable defense. Fullerton has scored 13 goals in its last four games; the Hoosiers have given up only 10 in 23 games.

Eddie Soto and Matt Bradbury lead the Titans. Soto has scored 11 goals in the last eight games, and Bradbury has six in the last four. Soto now holds the school records for goals and points in a career as well as a single season.