University of North Carolina Athletics
October 22, 2004 | Men's Soccer
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Oct. 22, 2004
North Carolina (6-6-2, 2-2-0 ACC) hopes to extend its season-best three-game winning streak with a victory over rival NC State (6-5-1, 1-3-1 ACC) Sunday at 2 p.m. at Fetzer Field. With a win at Virginia Tech Wednesday, the Tar Heels evened their record at .500 for the first time since September 10. Carolina has won four of its last five matches and has outscored its opponents 10-3 over this stretch. NC State has won its last two, including a 1-0 won over then-No. 6 Duke last weekend. The Tar Heels are unbeaten in their last eight meeting with the Wolfpack.
All-time series record: North Carolina leads the all-time series, 42-19-10. This is the teams' 72nd meeting.
Last meeting: The Tar Heels and Wolfpack played to a 0-0 tie in the first round of last season's ACC Tournament. NC State advanced on penalty kicks.
Last time in Chapel Hill: Carolina defeated NC State, 2-1, in 2002.
SCOUTING NC STATE
Junior Aaron King, who was named ACC Player of the Week last week, leads the Wolfpack with seven goals on the season. He is tied for the team scoring lead with Federico Peria, who has three goals and eight assists. Jorge Gonzalez has started 10 matches in goal for the Pack and sports a 1.18 goals against average with three shutouts.
STATE-CAROLINA SERIES NOTES
The Tar Heels and Wolfpack played to a draw twice last season, including a 0-0 tie in the first round of the ACC Tournament. NC State advanced on penalty kicks, 4-3. In the regular season meeting in Raleigh, Jamie Watson scored in the 70th minute to tie the match at one and neither team scored in overtime. Carolina is unbeaten against the Wolfpack in its last eight meetings (6-0-2) and has not dropped a match in the series since NC State won back-to-back games against the Tar Heels in 1996-97.
TAR HEEL TURNAROUND
After dropping tough one-goal matches to both top-ranked UNC Greensboro and Duke, North Carolina was 2-5-2 on the season. Since that point, the Tar Heels have started to click on both sides of the ball and have won four of their last five. After being outscored 18-13 through the first nine matches of the season, Carolina has outscored its opponents 10-3 in the last five games. The Tar Heels only loss in this stretch was a 1-0 defeat at Maryland on October 10.
MERRITT FINDS SCORING TOUCH
Senior defender Tim Merritt has been a vocal leader for the Tar Heels for the entire season, but has found his scoring touch of late. The Gig Harbor, Wash., native has scored versus both Duke and UNC Asheville and is tied for second on the team with four assists. Merritt connected from the top of the box against the Blue Devils to tie the match at two in the 84th minute. Against the Bulldogs, Merritt buried a 25-yard shot in the final minute of the first half to lift the Tar Heels to a 3-0 lead.
STRONG YEAR FOR STOREY
Senior Marcus Storey leads Carolina with 16 points on five goals and six assists this season. The six assists are the most for Storey since he had eight as a freshman in 2001. Despite constant pressure from opposing defenses, Storey, who has tallied at least one point in seven of the 13 matches he has played in, has already surpassed his point total of last season (15). With two goals in the win over Elon on October 13, Storey is now tied for ninth all-time in Tar Heel history,
CAREER GOALS SCORED Rank Name (Years) Goals 1. Derek Missimo (1987-90) 56 2. Chris Carrieri (1998-2000) 50 3. Temoc Suarez (1993-96) 47 4. Caleb Norkus (1997-2000) 40 5. Ryan Kneipper (1999-2002) 39 6. Mark Devey (1982-86) 32 Tony Johnson (1979-82) 32 8. Donald Cogsville (1984-88) 29 9. Marcus Storey (2001-04) 28 Billy Hartman (1981-84) 28 David Smyth (1984-87) 28
FETZER'S FRIENDLY CONFINES
Carolina owns a 310-96-24 all-time record at Fetzer Field, and has won three straight at home - including victories over No. 12 Virginia and No. 7 South Carolina - after a rare five-match winless streak in Chapel Hill.
Over the last six seasons, Carolina owns an impressive 46-10-2 mark on its home turf. The Tar Heels have not lost more than two matches at home in a single season since 1999. The Tar Heels will play three consecutive matches at home (NC State, William and Mary and Wake Forest) before travelling to Clemson to close out the regular season on November 7. The ACC Tournament is set for November 10-14 at SAS Stadium in Cary, N.C.
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
Despite allowing more than 20 goals for just the second time in the last five years, the North Carolina defense has been outstanding in its last five matches, giving up just three scores over this stretch. The Tar Heels have also posted two of their three shutouts - UNC Asheville and South Carolina - during this run. Carolina has outscored its opponents 10-3 in the last five games.
HARRINGTON HEATS UP
An outstanding playmaker, sophomore midfielder Michael Harrington has been an important part of the Tar Heels' impressive run of late. Harrington has scored one goal and assisted on four others over the last five matches. The Tar Heels have won all four matches in which Harrington has posted an assist. He scored a goal and added an assist in the 3-1 over Elon on October 13. Harrington, who had four points last season, has eight points on two goals and four assists this season.
WILLIAMS COMING ON STRONG
After a slow start, junior goalkeeper Ford Williams has been impressive over the last five matches - all starts - and has allowed just three goals over this stretch. He has made 13 saves over these five matches and has posted an .813 save percentage.
GERMANI LOST FOR SEASON
Freshman defensive midfielder Chris Germani, who had started four matches, was lost for the season with a right knee injury suffered in practice prior to the win over Virginia. According to head coach Elmar Bolowich, Germani will require surgery and should miss approximately six months. "The injury is a setback for Chris," said Bolowich. "He was getting more and more comfortable in his position as a defensive midfielder but is now sidelined for the remainder of the season and possibly the spring."
FRESHMEN CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE
Despite the loss of defensive midfielder Chris Germani, Carolina's talented crop of rookies continues to make an impact for head coach Elmar Bolowich. Eight different freshmen have played, led by Andre Sherard, who has started all 14 matches at defender and has one assist on the season. Midfielder Dax McCarty has played in all 14 games and is sixth on the team with six points on two goals and two assists. Defender Adam Sloustcher has also made 11 starts and scored the game-winner against Virginia. Defender Michael Walters has made four starts.
AMONG THE ACC LEADERS
As of October 19:
• Marcus Storey is seventh in the ACC with 0.50 assists per game and seventh with 1.33 points per game.
• Ford Williams is third in the league with 3.22 saves per game and seventh with a 1.39 goals against average.
TAR HEELS PUT TWO ON HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
After each earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors a year ago, senior forward Marcus Storey and sophomore forward Jamie Watson were named to the second annual 25-man watch list for the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, regarded as the most prestigious individual honor in intercollegiate soccer. The list was compiled by a coaching panel for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, which serves as the official selection body for the award. Storey, who was also named a preseason second-team All-America by College Soccer News, has 16 points on five goals and six assists this season, while Watson has 10 points on four goals and an two assists. He has scored in each of the last two matches.
CAROLINA PICKED AS LEAGUE FAVORITE BY ACC COACHES
For just the second time since 1990, the Tar Heels were chosen by the Atlantic Coast Conference head coaches as the favorite to win the league title. The last time UNC was picked to finish first it did win the league but went on to claim the NCAA crown in 2001. This time around, Carolina was the only team with more than one (four) first-place votes. The Tar Heels tallied 57 total points, outdistancing second-place Virginia, which had 51 points.
