University of North Carolina Athletics
Gell's Late Goal Lifts Tar Heels to 2-2 Tie with UConn
August 24, 2002 | Men's Soccer
Aug. 24, 2002
Cary, N.C. - University of North Carolina senior Mike Gell scored with just over five minutes to play in the second half to lift the Tar Heels to a 2-2 tie with Connectiuct in the first-annual "Clash of Champions" on Saturday night at SAS Stadium in Cary. The exhibition game matched the 2000 NCAA champion Huskies, ranked No. 6 in the preseason NSCAA poll, with the defending national champion and No. 4-ranked Tar Heels.
After 43 scoreless minutes, both teams scored in the last two minutes of the first half. Ryan Kneipper, Carolina's leading scorer in 2001 and the Offensive MVP of the 2001 College Cup, scored the game's first goal at the 43:05 mark. After a foul on Andrew McLeod of Connecticut near the baseline, Matt Crawford launched the free kick high in front of the goal. Kneipper used his 6-3 frame and headed the ball into the lower right corner of the net.
Less than two minutes later, the Huskies tied the score on a penalty kick by Cesar Cuellar that followed a hand ball by UNC's Logan Pause in the box. Cuellar drove the penalty kick into the lower right corner of the net, past Tar Heel keeper Jay Batt with just 13 seconds left in the opening period.
Cuellar scored his second goal just over five minutes into the second half, taking touch passes from Anthony Curtis and Marcus Svensson off a free kick and scoring in the far corner of the net, past a diving Batt.
Gell tied the score with under 7:00 left to play, taking a pass from Crawford and rocketing a shot from the top of the box that richocheted off a Huskie defender into the right side of the net.
The Tar Heels will open the 2002 regular season next Friday at 7:30 p.m. when they host Akron in the Nike Carolina Classic at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill. Wake Forest and Saint Louis round out the tournament field. UConn will open its regular season next Friday at Seton Hall.
Scoring:
1. UNC - Ryan Kneipper (Matt Crawford), 43:05
2. UConn - Cesar Cuellar, 44:47
3. UConn - Cuellar (Anthony Curtis, Marcus Svensson), 54:21
4. UNC - Mike Gell (Crawford), 84:26
Goals: Cesar Cuellar (UConn) 2, Ryan Kneipper (UNC) 1, Mike Gell (UNC) 1
Assists: Matt Crawford (UNC) 2, Anthony Curtis (UConn) 1, Marcus Svensson (UConn) 1
Goalie Stats: Adam Schuerman (UConn) 3 saves, 1 goals allowed, 62 minutes; Peter Lechak (UConnn) 2 saves, 1 goal allowed, 28 minutes; Jay Batt (UNC) 2 saves, 2 goals allowed
Shots: UConn 10, UNC 11
Attendance: 2,005
