University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 1 Tar Heels Open 2006 Season In Winston-Salem
August 24, 2006 | Men's Soccer
Aug. 24, 2006
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Ranked No. 1 in Soccer America's preseason rankings, North Carolina opens its 2006 campaign at the Wake Forest adidas Classic this weekend at Spry Stadium. The Tar Heels open with William & Mary at 5 p.m. Friday and then return to Winston-Salem to face UCF at noon Sunday. Carolina has played three exhibition matches, which all ended in 1-1 draws.
WILLIAM & MARY SERIES
Carolina leads its all-time series with William & Mary, 9-1-0. The Tar Heels have won five straight against the Tribe, including a 3-2 victory in Williamsburg a year ago. William & Mary last defeated UNC, 4-0, in 1996.
UCF SERIES
The Tar Heels hold a 3-2 advanage in five meetings with UCF. Carolina has won two straight in the series, but the teams have not met since 1988. All five matches with the Golden Knights were played between 1981-88.
HEELS LAST TRIP TO WAKE TOURNEY A SUCCESS
Carolina owns a 3-1 all-time record in Wake Forest's home tournament, making trips to the event in 1998 and 2003. The Tar Heels' current senior class were freshmen in their last trip to the event, and played key roles in wins over No. 5 St. John's and No. 10 Connecticut. David Boole, Michael Harrington and Justin Hughes each started both victories.
ASHE OFF TO QUICK START IN EXHIBITIONS
With goals in the Tar Heels' last two exhibitions, senior forward Corey Ashe appears to be in midseason form heading into the regular season opener. The Virginia Beach, Va., product found the back of the net against Gardner-Webb and in Monday's Blue-White Exhibition. Senior defender David Boole and sophomore forward Stephen Bickford also scored in the preseason, as Carolina tied Davidson and Gardner-Webb, 1-1. The Blue-White game also ended in a 1-1 draw.
CAROLINA CLAIMS NO. 1 PRESEASON RANKING
For the first time since capturing the 2001 national championship, North Carolina sits atop the Soccer America Men's Top 25 Poll, which was released Aug. 17. The Tar Heels return 10 starters from a squad that posted a 17-4-3 record and reached the NCAA quarterfinals a year ago. Also Ranked No. 5 in the NSCAA/adidas preseason poll, Carolina is one of four Atlantic Coast Conference teams ranked in the top six and one of seven in the top 19 by Soccer America. The Tar Heels are rated just ahead of No. 2 SMU, the team that eliminated them in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Joining top-ranked Carolina in the Soccer America rankings from the ACC are: No. 3 Virginia, No. 4 Maryland, No. 6 Clemson, No. 15 Duke, No. 18 Wake Forest and No. 19 Virginia Tech. In addition to having six ranked conference foes on the 2006 slate, the Tar Heels will also face No. 11 Penn State Sept. 3 at the annual Carolina Nike Classic.
TAR HEELS TABBED ACC FAVORITES BY COACHES
With 10 returning starters and one of the nation's top recruiting classes in the fold for the upcoming season, the North Carolina Tar Heels have been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference men's soccer title, as determined by a vote of the league's nine head coaches.
After advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament a year ago, the Tar Heels collected 73 points and four first-place votes en route to being named the conference preseason favorite. UNC returns 95 percent (39 of 41 goals) of its scoring from a year ago, led by senior forward Ben Hunter's 13 goals. The Tar Heels also return four defenders and a goalkeeper that posted a school-record 15 shutouts a year ago.
HARRINGTON, HUGHES ON HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
No. 1-ranked North Carolina is one of just three schools to place a pair of players on the 25-man watch list for the 2006 Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, presented annually to the top men's and women's player in collegiate soccer. Seniors Justin Hughes and Michael Harrington were honored from the Tar Heel roster.
Joining the Tar Heels with multiple honorees were Clemson and UNC Greensboro. In all, eight players from the Atlantic Coast Conference were selected to the initial watch list. The winner of the M.A.C.'s Hermann Trophy will be determined in voting by NSCAA Division I member coaches. A list of 15 semifinalists will be announced in early November, with three finalists announced in late November. They will be invited to St. Louis on Saturday, Dec. 2, for the announcement of the winner at a press conference to be held in conjunction with the Men's College Cup.
A senior goalkeeper from Wake Forest, N.C., Hughes enters the 2006 season as the clear-cut starter in goal for Carolina for the first time in his career. He owns a 0.74 goals against average in 25 career starts. Hughes has posted 13 shutouts and owns two of the three best single-season GAA marks in school history, including an ACC-best 0.50 GAA a year ago.
A three-year starter for the Tar Heels, Harrington will be playing his second season at outside back and has started 62 games since 2003. He is the most offensive-minded of the UNC defenders and has career totals of three goals and 10 assists entering 2006. A Greenville, N.C., product, Harrington was also picked as a preseason All-America by College Soccer News last week.
SOCCER AMERICA HONORS HUNTER AS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA
Senior forward Ben Hunter became the third North Carolina men's soccer standout to earn preseason All-America accolades when Soccer America released its list of honorees Monday. Hunter joins defenders Michael Harrington and Andre Sherard, who where recognized by College Soccer News, as preseason All-Americas.
Hunter led the Tar Heels in 2005 with 31 points on 13 goals and five assists. He was at his best in Carolina's postseason run, scoring seven consecutive goals for the Tar Heels. Hunter scored all three UNC goals in the ACC Tournament and notched the team's first four in NCAA play.
The Doncaster, England, product was one of eight forwards honored by Soccer America, which also placed eight ACC players on its preseason All-America team.
GREENVILLE DUO NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAS BY CSN
After helping post a school-record 15 shutouts a year ago, North Carolina defenders Andre Sherard and Michael Harrington were named to the College Soccer News Preseason All-America squad. Sherard was a second-team selection, while Harrington earned a spot on the third team.
Both Greenville, N.C., natives, Sherard and Harrington each earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference and all-region accolades a year ago. A junior center back, Sherard has started 44 games over the past two seasons. Harrington will be playing his second season at outside back and has started 62 games at Carolina. He has career totals of three goals and 10 assists entering 2006. A total of seven ACC players were honored by CSN, but Harrington and Sherard were the only set of teammates to earn a spot on the Preseason All-America squad.
VETERAN LINEUP TO LEAD TAR HEELS
With 10 starters, including seven seniors, back in the fold in 2006, North Carolina features one of the most experienced and talented lineups in all of college soccer. According to 18th-year head coach Elmar Bolowich, this group is comparable to the senior class that led his 2001 squad to the program's first national title. "The senior group is very strong and having these guys around for the fourth year will certainly contribute to our overall team chemistry," said Bolowich. "It is very similar (to the championship team). We had very strong leadership in 2001. We also had a wonderful team in 2000, but lacked leadership that we had in the following year with a strong senior class. I see similar scenarios with our past season and our upcoming season."
The 2000 Tar Heels reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament before breaking through with a national championship the following season. Last season, Carolina also advanced to the Elite Eight, and it appears prepped for a run at a trip to the College Cup in St. Louis this season.
ASHE, HUNTER TO CARRY SCORING LOAD
Seniors Corey Ashe and Ben Hunter will once again be counted on to carry much of the Tar Heels' scoring load. Hunter was one of ACC's top scorers a year ago with 31 points on 13 goals and five assists. Ashe was an All-ACC pick in 2004, and leads all Tar Heels with 44 career points on 19 goals and six assists. Ashe is one of the quicker players in all of college soccer, while Hunter can be a "target player" in the middle of the field for UNC.
Led by Hunter (13), Ashe (6) and midfielder Scott Campbell (10), the Tar Heels return 95 percent (39 of 41 goals) of their scoring from a year ago.
YOUNG MIDFIELD A YEAR OLDER
The Tar Heels will once again feature a young midfield in 2006 with Blake Beach as the lone senior starter. ACC All-Freshman Team selections Scott Campbell and Michael Callahan return as sophomores, and St. John's transfer Garry Lewis is expected to fill the spot left by Dax McCarty.
Campbell, who tallied 26 points on 10 goals and six assists, and Lewis both earned freshman All-America honors.
RECORD-SETTING DEFENSE RETURNS
Carolina's veteran backline returns in 2006 after notching a school-record 15 shutouts and a remarkable 902-minute scoreless stretch a year ago. All-conference and all-region choices Michael Harrington and Andre Sherard will once again lead the way. Harrington and David Boole are expected to man the flanks, while Sherard and Ted Odgers should start at the center back positions just as they did in 2005. The Tar Heels allowed just 17 goals a year ago - their fewest since 1991.
HUGHES HOLDS KEEPER JOB
After splitting time with Ford Williams over the past three seasons, senior goalkeeper Justin Hughes enters 2006 as the clear-cut starter in net for the first time in his career. Over the past three seasons, Hughes has posted 13 shutouts in 25 starts and sports a 0.74 goals against average. A year ago, he led the ACC with a 0.50 GAA and did not allow a goal versus a league opponent. According to Bolowich, Hughes has improved his ability to organize the defense and is prepared to be a leader on the field in 2006. "Last year at the beginning of the season, Ford was just a better organizer of our defense and when you are getting started that is what you want out of a goalkeeper," said Bolowich. "Now with Justin being a senior and understanding what we need a bit more, he can step in a do that."
BOLOWICH LOOKS FOR FLEXIBILITY
With a school-record 15 shutouts, Carolina's main ingredient for success in 2005 was a stout defense. As always, Bolowich will look for a strong defensive effort again this season, but also likes the flexibility the 2006 roster should offer. "We would also like to have a little more flexibility in our lineups and in our formations," said Bolowich. "We were somewhat limited in the amount of weapons that we could use last year - weapons in terms of attacking with three instead of two forwards and playing with three instead of four defenders."
Bolowich has primarily played with four defenders over the last few years, but with four experienced returnees and a talented rookie crop of defenders, he would not hesitate to play three backs at times this season. "I wouldn't be concerned about it. I think we can do it. I also see some potential in our freshmen. There might be one or two that we could insert into our backline as well."
LEWIS TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Sophomore midfielder Garry Lewis, a transfer from St. John's, is expected to fill the shoes of All-America Dax McCarty, who was the No. 6 overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft by FC Dallas. A second-team All-Big East pick with the Red Storm in 2005, Lewis started 21 games and tallied 10 points. "Garry Lewis is the perfect addition to the team to replace Dax," said Bolowich. "He plays the same position and he is an aggressive player. He is a ball-winner and that is exactly what we need on our squad."
TALENTED ROOKIE CLASS ADDS DEPTH
While the 2006 Tar Heels will unquestionably be led by their senior class, Bolowich and his staff have assembled one of the nation's best groups of freshmen once again. College Soccer News recently ranked the Tar Heels' crop of newcomers No. 3 nationally and tops in the ACC. U.S. Under-20 National Team members Bill Dworsky and Eric Lichaj and Parade All-America Eddie Ababio headline a group of 11 rookies, who will certainly see some time on the field but will not be counted on to lead the team like recent groups of freshmen. "In terms of the makeup of the team, there might be some surprises there, we don't know yet," said Bolowich. "There are some players in the incoming freshmen class that we feel very good about. They are capable of stepping in and doing some good things for the team."
