University of North Carolina Athletics
Men's Soccer Ranked No. 1 in the Nation
October 17, 2000 | Men's Soccer
Oct. 17, 2000
Chapel Hill, N.C. - The University of North Carolina men's soccer team is ranked No. 1 in the nation this week by the SoccerTimes.com College Coaches Poll. The No. 1-ranking is the highest in the history of the Carolina men's program. In this week's other major national polls, the Tar Heels are ranked No. 3 by Soccer America and No. 4 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
The SoccerTimes.com voting panel consists of 15 NCAA Division I head coaches. On each ballot, 25 points is awarded for first place, 24 for second place, 23 for third, etc., to one point for 25th place. Carolina did not receive a first place vote, but polled 264 points, one better than No. 2 Stanford (four first-place votes) and two ahead of No. 3 Southern Methodist (five firsts). The rest of the Top 10 is No. 4 San Jose State (two first-place votes), No. 5 Indiana (one), No. 6 Connecticut, No. 7 South Carolina, No. 8 Virginia, No. 9 UCLA and No. 10 St. John's. Other Atlantic Coast Conference teams ranked include No. 18 Clemson, No. 22 Wake Forest and No. 25 Duke.
In more ways than one, the 2000 season has been a breakthrough campaign for Elmar Bolowich and the Tar Heels:
-The Tar Heels enter Wednesday's game with Charlotte with a record of 12-2, 3-1 in the ACC. The three ACC wins are tied for the most UNC has won under Bolowich in a season. The school record for ACC wins in a season is four, set in 1967 under head coach Marvin Allen and in 1977 in Anson Dorrance's first year as UNC's men's coach.
-The Tar Heels are off to their best start since 1981, when they began the season 13-2. That year, UNC tied its best start in school history, also set in 1980.
-The win at Clemson on Sept. 10 was Carolina's first regular-season win at Clemson since 1968 and UNC's third win in a row over the Tigers.
-The 2000 season also marks the first time in Carolina men's soccer history that the Tar Heels have beaten traditional ACC powers Clemson and Duke on the road in the same season.
-The win over Maryland on Oct. 7 was Carolina's third ACC road victory of the season, marking the first time since 1962 and only the second time ever that the Tar Heels have won three ACC road games in a season.
The Tar Heels are led by ACC Player-of-the-Year candidate Chris Carrieri, who leads the conference in points (43), goals (17) and assists (nine).
Carolina returns to action on Wednesday night against Charlotte at 7:00 p.m. at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill.
