UNH men's soccer reward for success: Home game Sunday vs. Clemson in NCAA Round of 16

DURHAM — What does the result of the "best win in program history" for the University of New Hampshire men's soccer team look like?

That will be answered Sunday as No. 8 seeded UNH (13-2-4) will host No. 9 Clemson (11-3-5) in an NCAA tournament Round of 16 game at Wildcat Stadium.

It is a match UNH head coach Marc Hubbard expects to draw the biggest home crowd in program history. Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m.

"We've had a lot of big wins here," Hubbard said. "We keep achieving new things that the program has never achieved each year that we've been here. To host a third-round game here at Durham is a very special moment."

There was a reported crowd of 2,750 in Sunday's 3-0 second-round win over Syracuse, the defending national champion. Hubbard called it the biggest win in program history because for the first time, the Wildcats will have the opportunity to host a Round of 16 game.

Previous story: UNH beats defending national champ Syracuse

"(Sunday's win) was definitely massive for us," UNH captain Eli Goldman said. "I think it's been years in the making. It took us a while to get the respect to even be thought of as a top-8 seed. We did a lot this year specifically, and it put us in a spot to host not only an ACC team, but also the defending champs. I think it's massive for the program, but it's also telling of what has happened in the years since (Coach Hubbard) has taken over."

UNH has developed consistency under Hubbard

This year marked the third time that UNH has advanced to the Round of 16. The first two were in 2017 and 2021 — both under Hubbard, who is in his ninth season as head coach.

In 2017, UNH traveled to Indiana University for a third-round matchup and fell to the Hoosiers, 2-1. In 2021, UNH lost at top-seeded Oregon State, 1-0.

This is also the seventh NCAA tournament appearance for UNH, and its sixth under Hubbard. Prior to 2017, UNH hadn't made the tournament since 1994, which was under head coach Mike Noonan, the current head coach at Clemson.

Hubbard said a 4-1 win over the University of North Carolina in the 2021 second-round was the biggest win in program history before Sunday.

"Both (games) are pretty similar," Hubbard said. "We came out in dominant fashion, both ACC opponents in meaningful NCAA games."

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What made Sunday's match better in Hubbard's eyes?

"We get to host (another one), whereas with the UNC (win), we (then) had to go to Oregon State," he said.

'Great support' from Durham community, and around state

The Wildcats were really good away from Durham (5-0-2) this season, and were 8-2-2 at home. Both home losses were by one goal, the most recent coming in the America East championship game, a 1-0 overtime loss to Bryant University.

"We've had great support from our local community and our state," Hubbard said. "The student support continues to get a little bit better and better over time. It can always be better, but I think this coming Sunday, with it being such an important game, I would expect to break attendance records. That is my hope."

Clemson advanced to Sunday's game with a 3-0 win over Charlotte.

"It's another ACC team coming here," Hubbard said. "(Clemson) won the ACC, and they won the national tournament two years ago. To be able to host them here in Durham, New Hampshire, in a Sweet 16 game, we're slowly reaching new grounds and making history. Ideally, we can get that win (this Sunday), and continue to reach new grounds."

The winner of Sunday's match will face either top-seeded Marshall or No. 16 Stanford in an Elite Eight quarterfinal match, a round the Wildcats have never reached.

"You want to be in the position to have that pressure," Hubbard said. "It's not something to be feared, it's something to embrace. You'd rather be in a spot where you have to be in these moments, rather than not."

Can the 'Cats break through in 2023?

Hubbard said the program's progress really started in three seasons, 2015, 2016 and 2017, coincidently his first three as head coach.

"A lot of effort and commitment from those players during that time and transition when I got here," he said.

In those years, the Wildcats finished sixth, fifth and fourth, respectively, in the America East. But the Wildcats placed second in 2018, and have placed first in the regular season the past five seasons.

"You kind of learn from those experiences," Hubbard said. "Over the years, we've learned to kind of set ourselves up with a good seed going into the tournament. Some of that is out of our control. There is a human element to the national committee, but some of it is scheduling and how you do in the regular season, and then you want your conference (ratings percentage index) to be really good."

Goldman, a graduate student from Minneapolis who leads UNH with nine goals, has played in the program since 2020. He said the team has been consistent with its efforts since he arrived, and is reaping the benefits.

"We've stuck to the same habits and everyday things we were doing my freshman year as we're doing now," he said. "We're just continuing to grow from that. It's not just what happened this year, but it's been in the last eight or nine years, where slowly it's gotten to a point where we can face Syracuse here at home."

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: UNH men's soccer prepares for historic NCAA match vs. Clemson