University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Earn Fourth Straight NCAA Tournament Bid
November 18, 2002 | Men's Soccer
Nov. 18, 2002
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - For the fourth consecutive year and 11th time in school history, the University of North Carolina men's soccer team has earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Carolina (13-6-1), the defending NCAA champion, will play Big South conference champ Winthrop (15-6-1) in the first round at 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill. The winner of that game will play at Penn State on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
Last weekend, the Tar Heels lost to Clemson in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and earned an at-large bid to the 48-team 2002 NCAA Tournament field. The teams will be playing for the right to compete at the 2002 NCAA Men's College Cup on Dec. 13 and 15 in Dallas at Gerald Ford Stadium.
Last season, Carolina won its first-ever NCAA championship in men's soccer. In 2001, UNC was the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament and reached the quarterfinals.
Carolina is one of six ACC teams to earn bids in 2002, joining ACC champion Maryland, Virginia, Clemson, Wake Forest and Duke.
"We're excited about defending our NCAA championship, beginning with Friday's game against Winthrop," Carolina head coach Elmar Bolowich said shortly after the bracket announcement. "We're glad to get a game on our home field, although Winthrop is a very good team. It won't be easy. I'm glad that the ACC got six bids. The conference was so good this year, I'm not surprised to see so many ACC teams get bids."
olowich now has led Carolina to eight NCAA Tournament appearances - in 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. Friday's game will mark the third year in a row in which Carolina has hosted an NCAA Tournament game. Previously, UNC hadn't hosted an NCAA Tournament game since 1994.
Tickets for Friday's game between Carolina and Winthrop will cost $10 for adults and $5 for students.
