University of North Carolina Athletics
Men's Soccer Game Notes
September 20, 2001 | Men's Soccer
Sept. 20, 2001
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Date & Time:
Saturday, September 22, 2001, 7 p.m.Site: Klockner Stadium (capacity: 8,000, natural grass) in Charlottesville, Va.
Carolina's Series Record vs. Virginia: Series tied, 28-28-7
Websites: North Carolina (TarHeelBlue.com), Wake Forest (virginiasports.com)
Tar Heels Open 2001 ACC Season at Virginia
No. 10-ranked North Carolina (4-1, 0-0 ACC) opens the defense of its 2000 Atlantic Coast Conference championship on Saturday night at No. 6 Virginia (4-0-1, 1-0-0 ACC) in Klockner Stadium.
Carolina has won four of five games so far this season and 19 of its last 21 overall. The Cavaliers are coming off a 1-0 shutout victory at home over Wake Forest on Monday night. In that game, Alecko Eskandarian scored off assists from Kyle Martino and Jonathan Cole late in the first half and the Cavs held on to win. Eskandarian currently leads UVa and the ACC with five goals and 10 points this season. Martino leads the conference in assists with five and is second in the league in points with nine.
In This Week's National Rankings
Carolina is ranked No. 10 in the NSCAA coaches' poll and No. 13 by Soccer America. Virginia is ranked No. 6 by the NSCAA and No. 2 by Soccer America.
Carolina vs. Virginia
The alltime series between Virginia and Carolina is tied, 28-28-7. The Cavaliers have won five of the last six in the series and are 23-3-2 against the Tar Heels since 1981.
The Tar Heels won the last meeting between the two schools, a 1-0 overtime win in the 2000 ACC Tournament final in Winston-Salem. In that game, Caleb Norkus scored the game-winner off an assist from Michael Bucy just 13 seconds into overtime to give UNC its first ACC title since 1987. Norkus was named the Tournament's MVP.
McGinty Named to Soccer America's Team of the Week for Sept. 10-16
Sophomore forward Sean McGinty scored both UNC goals in the win over UNC Greensboro on Sept. 16 and was named to Soccer America's 11-man Team of the Week on Sept. 18.
Tar Heel Defense Hopes to Repeat Last Year's Success
Carolina returns all four members of last year's defensive unit, which led the ACC with 0.75 goals allowed per game in 2000. Starting goalkeeper Michael Ueltschey (a senior) and starting defenders Danny Jackson (senior), Chris Leitch (senior) and David Stokes (sophomore) all played virtually every minute of every game last year.
Carolina has allowed one goal or less in four of five games this year.
Ueltschey led the ACC in shutouts, goals against average and save percentage in 2000 and has again been impressive this season, becoming a vocal leader in the back for UNC.
Jackson was named a second-team All-America in 2000 and looks to earn first-team honors this year as Carolina's central defender. Leitch and Stokes are both superb on-the-ball defenders who could merit all-conference and All-America consideration themselves.
Inexperienced Offensive Unit Beginning to Take Shape
Carolina lost 78 percent of its goals and 56 percent of its assists from the 2000 squad and entered this season with a great deal of inexperience up front.
Sophomore Sean McGinty leads Carolina and entered the week tied for the ACC lead with four goals and nine points. Junior Mike Gell and freshman Marcus Storey are tied for second on the team with six points apiece. Both Gell and Storey have two goals and two assists each this season. Junior transfer David Testo and junior midfielder Matt Crawford both also have contributed offensively with two goals apiece.
Pause Could Return Earlier than Expected
Sophomore midfielder Logan Pause, Carolina's leading returning scorer from 2000, was expected to miss the entire 2001 season after tearing the miniscus in his left knee and undergoing surgery over the summer. Pause's recovery has progressed more quickly than expected, however. He has begun running and more extensive rehabilition of late, and he will be re-evaluated by the UNC medical staff next week. If all goes well, he could return to practice soon thereafter.
Among the ACC Leaders
The following Tar Heels were among the leaders in the latest ACC men's soccer release (as of Sept. 16):
Sean McGinty - Tied 1st in points (4), tied 1st in goals (4), tied 5th in points per game (1.80), 2nd in goals per game (0.80)
Michael Ueltschey - 4th in goals against average (1.00), 5th in save percentage (.688) and 7th in saves (2.20 per game).
As a team, Carolina is 1st in the ACC in scoring offense (3.20 goals per game), 2nd in scoring defense (1.00 goals allowed per game).
