2024 NCAA College Cup Preview

December 5, 2024
By Rohtas Wadera

It all comes down to this. The 2024 NCAA College Cup is historic for many reasons. For the first time since the NCAA Tournament started in 1982, all four teams are from the same conference, the almighty ACC. Of course, this wouldn’t be possible without conference realignment as Stanford was always in PAC-12 prior to their move to the ACC this season. Both matchups represent the ultimate grudge matches as both pairs of teams have faced each other in the regular season. Let’s take a deep dive, here’s our preview of the 2024 NCAA College Cup.

No. 2 Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. No. 3 Stanford Cardinal

Friday, December 6th, 5:00 PM ET/2:00 PM PT, ESPNU

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Wake Forest’s magical year continues into the College Cup, as the Demon Deacons were unranked to start the season. This team was predicted to finish ninth in the ACC Preseason Poll, meaning this group was not expected to compete and make a postseason run. Instead, they’ve proved all the doubters wrong, winning game after game. That includes a 1-0 win over Stanford, who were ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time. Wake Forest is in the College Cup for the second time in school history. They’re eager to win it all this time.

On the other hand, Stanford is a dominant program that is in their tenth College Cup and is looking to finish the job after losing the final to Florida State last year.

When these two teams played back in September, Wake Forest was able to strike first and maintain the lead for two-thirds of the match. This is an impressive feat and shows how great they were defensively in this game and for most of the season. Caiya Hanks continues to be their go-to star, with 11 goals and 11 assists this season. With Hanks scoring and setting up her teammates and a strong defense, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Wake Forest is here.

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With that being said, this Stanford team truly seems to be on a mission for Katie Meyer. They were one game away last year, but Florida State was too good. The Cardinal only lost four players to the pros and graduation last year. Their record might not have been as good as it was last season but it’s basically the same group with an extra year of experience both on and off the pitch. Jasmine Aikey is something special that Stanford is sure to play through, but they also have Shae Harvey, Andrea Kitahata, and Charlotte Kohler all in support. I’m taking the team with more experience to get their revenge and get back to another NCAA Final.

Prediction: Stanford Wins 2-1

No. 1 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels

Friday, December 6th, 7:30 PM PT/4:30 PM PT, ESPNU

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It’s one of the best rivalries in all of sports. We are lucky enough to witness it happen in the College Cup. Duke and North Carolina’s rivalry is more than 100 years old, with a hatred that runs deep between both sides. Believe it or not, these two actually went head to head in the 1992 National Title. But North Carolina stomped the Blue Devils, winning by a jaw-dropping 9-1 scoreline. Duke has come incredibly close but has not won that elusive National Championship. They’ve been to the College Cup four times including this trip, with two losses in the final to Stanford and Penn State in 2011 and 2015. This is their best chance since 2017 to break through and finally cement their status as one of the best programs in the nation.

North Carolina is back once again with one caveat: Anson Dorrance is no longer on the sideline. Dorrance and the College Cup are practically synonymous with each other. It’ll be strange for everyone involved not to see him leading the Tar Heels.

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Damon Nahas has done an incredible job taking his place and getting North Carolina to another College Cup. Kate Faasse has had an amazing season with 19 goals. Her last was the game-winner in extra time over Penn State. The Tar Heels are also the last team to beat Duke, which came in the ACC Tournament semifinals. This was after Duke had already beaten North Carolina twice during the regular season. Will North Carolina tie up the season series at 2-2 and get to the final? Or will Duke win and claim supremacy over their rival?

Overall, Duke has a little more depth than the Tar Heels. Plus, they’ve been ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation for most of the season. The Blue Devils were the best team in the country during the regular season. After losing to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, I think they’ve learned their lesson and should handle their rival in what is the biggest game of the season before the NCAA Final.

Prediction: Duke Wins 2-1 in Extra Time