Casajuana looks to help Eagles take first win at College Cup

By Karl Lyles - klyles@heraldonline.com

Winthrop is in the College Cup for the fourth time in eight seasons and looking for its first win. The Eagles take on Duke at 7 p.m. trying for that elusive first victory.

Winthrop (11-5-4) righted the ship in the Big South Conference tournament after losing three consecutive matches to end the regular season. The Eagles beat Gardner-Webb on penalty kicks in the first round, then disposed of top-seeded Coastal Carolina in the same manner. The Eagles fell behind quickly to Liberty in the finals but came back to win, 2-1.

Winthrop wouldn't have made the finals without junior midfielder Miquel Casajuana converting the game-winning penalty kicks in the first two rounds.

“I like to step up in those situations and put in PKs,” Casajuana said Tuesday afternoon following a light workout on Eagle Field. “I felt some nerves, but I've been playing soccer since I was 4 years old. I'm kind of used to it now.”

The 21 year-old Casajuana came to Winthrop from just outside Barcelona, Spain. He was brought to the attention of Eagles coach Rich Posipanko by Winthrop professor Bill Malambri.

Malambri was traveling in Spain and met Casajuana's father at a Barcelona hotel. The conversation turned to Miquel's soccer skills. He was described as the best player in Barcelona. It wasn't long after Milambri returned to Rock Hill when Posipanko received some videotapes on Casajuana.

In 2007, Casajuana played some midfield. The last two years, he has been a mainstay at the position.

“He has been one our best players, but he's been behind a lot of good players and hasn't gotten much recognition,” Posipanko said. “Next year will be his year.”

Next year seems to have come early. On Friday, against Gardner-Webb, Casajuana kicked his game-winner into the left side of the goal. Saturday, his game-winner was to the right side.

“We are set on our PKs,” Posipanko said. “We know who is smooth and can handle the pressure.”

Posipanko and associate head coach Dan Ridenhour put the team through a penalty kick contest to determine who can, and can't, deal with the pressure.

“Casa feels comfortable,” Ridenhour said, “he wants the fifth kick.”

Freshman goalkeeper Enrique Miranda made two saves in both games to put Casajuana in line for his heroics.

Battle weary

The Eagles were beat up and fatigued heading into the championship game against Liberty. They gave up a goal in the first two minutes. Winthrop midfielder Stephen Nserko got the equalizer on a feed from Matt Skonicki, the team's leading scorer, late in the first half.

Nserko, a senior from Uganda, called the goal “one of the best things in life.”

“Skonicki usually takes guys on; I wasn't looking for the cross,” Nserko said. “I was thinking I have to shoot this one. I was wide open.”

Skonicki headed in the game-winner in the second half to send Winthrop into the College Cup to face the Blue Devils at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C.

Winthrop and Duke both have brother combos on their rosters.

The Skonickis from Winthrop, Matt and Adam, are the nation's leaders in scoring by brothers. They have combined for 19 goals and 12 assists for 50 total points this season. Matt is a senior, Adam is a freshman.

Duke has two sets of twins. Christopher and Daniel Tweed-Kent are from Pittsfield, Mass.; Christian and Ryan Brown call Plano, Texas, home.

Duke is ranked 24th nationally and owns a 12-6 record. This is the Blue Devils' 23rd time in the College Cup, and 2009 marks their sixth consecutive berth.

Duke is physically big with a pair of 6-foot-2 defenders — Ryan Ruffing and Christian Ibeagha. They are led offensively by junior Cole Grossman (seven goals, 10 assists) and freshman Ryan Finley (nine goals, four assists). Like Winthrop, the Blue Devils have a freshman keeper in James Belshaw.

The Blue Devils and Eagles have met five previous times, with the most recent coming in 1987 at the Wolfpack Classic. Duke is 5-0 overall against Winthrop, outscoring the Eagles 15-2 in those games.

The winner of the game between Duke and Winthrop will advance to the second round to play 14th-seed Michigan State at 1 p.m. on Sunday, in East Lansing, Mich.