Nov. 20, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -
No. 5 seed North Carolina hosts Brown Sunday in NCAA Men's Soccer Championship second round action at 2 p.m. at Fetzer Field. A live webcast of the game will be available at TarHeelBlue.com though Carolina All-Access.
Unbeaten in their last five games, the Tar Heels (13-2-3) are well rested, having not seen the pitch since Nov. 11. The Bears (11-2-5) claimed a 1-0 double overtime win over Stony Brook Thursday in Providence, R.I.
National Rankings
The Tar Heels are ranked No. 4 by Soccer America and the NSCAA. Brown is ranked No. 25 by Soccer America.
Series History
North Carolina and Brown have met on two occasions with each team winning once. The Tar Heels scored a 5-0 win in Providence in 2002, while the Bears won, 2-1, in Charlottesville, Va., in 1993.
North Carolina-Brown Series
1993 vs. Brown L 1-2
2002 at Brown W 5-0
A National Seed Once Again
For the fifth time since the NCAA went to seeding the top 16 national seeds in 2003, the Tar Heels have claimed one of the valuable spots and a first-round bye. Seeded fifth this year, Carolina was seeded 13th in 2008, 14th in 2006, and fourth in both 2005 and 2003.
Well-Tested Tar Heels
Carolina has played eight of its 18 matches against teams that reached the 48-team NCAA tourney field. The Tar Heels compiled a 4-2-2 record in these games and went unbeaten - 2-0-2 - in four matches against the tourney's top 16 seeds.
History At Tournament Time
Carolina is making its 17th NCAA championship appearance and it owns a 21-15-0 record in the postseason. The Tar Heels are making their 14th postseason trip - and 10th in 11 years - under head coach Elmar Bolowich, who is 17-12-0 in NCAA Tournament play. The Tar Heels are 13-7-0 in all-time NCAA Tournament action at Fetzer Field. Carolina, which has a 14-8-0 record in the tournament over its last nine appearances, has made three College Cup appearances (1987, 2001, 2008) and captured the 2001 national title.
Tar Heels Winning With Balance
Carolina's formula for success this season has been a balanced team across the board. The Tar Heels are second in the ACC with 38 goals and with just 11 goals allowed. UNC is the only team to rank in the league's top two in both categories.
Offensively, goals have come from throughout the Carolina lineup. Eleven different players have found the back of the net. Four players own five-plus goals and six players have three or more goals on the season.
Fetzer's Friendly Confines
Carolina is 9-1-1 at home this season, with its lone loss coming against Boston College Oct. 17. Dating to the end of last season, the Tar Heels have dropped just one of their last 13 contests in Chapel Hill.
Tar Heels Primed For Postseason
Led by senior captain Zach Loyd, who has seen action in six NCAA Tournament games, Carolina's roster is full of players with postseason experience. Highlights include:
• Zach Loyd: Six games, five starts. Assisted on game-winning score against Wake Forest in 2008 College Cup. Named to College Cup All-Tournament Team.
• Brooks Haggerty: Five games, five starts. 0.59 GAA, 21 saves, three shutouts in 2008 NCAA tourney. Named to College Cup All-Tournament Team.
• Billy Schuler: Five games, five starts. Tallied a goal and an assist in 2008 tourney. Scored game-winner against Jacksonville in second round.
• Kirk Urso: Four games, one start. Scored twice in 2008 tourney, against UIC and the game-winner against Northwestern in the quarterfinals.
• Jordan Graye: Four games, four starts. Outside back helped lead UNC to three shutouts in 2008 NCAA tourney.
Tough To Beat With Two Goals
The Tar Heels have scored at least two goals in 11 of 18 games this season and are 10-0-1 when finding the back of net at least twice. This continues a trend for Carolina, which is now 31-2-2 when scoring twice over the last four seasons. UNC scored twice 13 times a year ago and went 11-2-0.
Carolina's Stingy Defense
North Carolina has allowed just 11 goals on the season and yielded just two scores on two occasions - to NCAA sides Wake Forest and Boston College. The Tar Heels have posted shutouts in half of their games this season - 9 of 18.
Tar Heels Claim Share Of ACC Title
By virtue of a 5-2-1 conference record and 16 points in league action, Carolina captured a share of its first regular season ACC title since 2000. The Tar Heels share the regular-season crown with Wake Forest, which claimed the tourney's top seed by virtue of an 18-12 scoring edge in ACC play.
Schuler Finishes Strong
Sophomore forward Billy Schuler, who was named ACC and national player of the week for the final week of the regular season, has closed the year on a strong note. He scored three goals - including two game-winners - in the final week of the regular season and has scored four goals and posted 10 points over the final seven games. He leads UNC with 20 points and eight goals.
Five Tar Heels Honored By ACC
With three first-team all-conference selections for the first time since 2002, North Carolina was one of four teams to lead the way with four members of the 2009 All-Atlantic Coast Conference men's soccer teams.
Junior midfielder Michael Farfan, senior defender Zach Loyd and sophomore forward Billy Schuler each garnered first-team honors, while junior midfielder Cameron Brown was named to the second team. Additionally, rookie forward Enzo Martinez earned a spot on the league's All-Freshman Team.
Tar Heels Excel In Spite Of Injuries
North Carolina has endured a number of injuries this season to some of its most experienced players, including five seniors. At one point, the Tar Heels were down six projected starters in a 2-2 tie at Wake Forest Oct. 9. On the season, Carolina has lost 57 games due to injury from its projected starting lineup entering training camp.
Games Missed Due To Injury In 2009
Player Games Injury/Illness
David Rodriguez 18 knee
Eddie Ababio 15 foot
Stephen McCarthy 15 hip
Zach Loyd 5 appendectomy
Brooks Haggerty 3 hip
Cameron Brown 1 leg
Loyd, Newcomers Stellar In The Back
Senior captain Zach Loyd, who has played at outside back and in the midfield throughout his Carolina career, is playing center back for the first time due to a season-ending knee injury to starter David Rodriguez in the preseason.
With Loyd in the mix, the Tar Heels have started three new defenders for much of the season - Loyd, Brett King and Drew McKinney. Results have been solid, as the Tar Heels have yielded just 11 goals and are holding the opposition to just 7.3 shots and 2.1 corner kicks per game.
Healthy Haggerty Strong In Net
Senior goalkeeper Brooks Haggerty was outstanding in the 2008 postseason run and has picked up where he left off in 2009. After battling injuries for much of his UNC career, Haggerty entered 2009 in the best shape of his collegiate career and owns a 0.64 goals against average and 38 saves in 1411 minutes. He missed three games with a hip injury but returned in the regular-season finale.
Bolowich Earns Win No. 250
Already Carolina's all-time winningest coach, Elmar Bolowich claimed career win No. 250 with a 4-0 win over Evansville Sept. 6. The 21-year Tar Heel mentor entered the season ranked 24th among active coaches in victories and 29th in winning percentage.
