University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Ohio State
Loyd Lifts No. 1 Tar Heels Past Buckeyes
September 1, 2006 | Men's Soccer
Sept. 1, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Freshman midfielder Zach Loyd drove home the game's only goal in the 68th minute to lift No. 1-ranked North Carolina to a 1-0 shutout of No. 20 Ohio State Friday in the second game of the Carolina Nike Classic at Fetzer Field. No. 11 Wake Forest posted a 2-0 win over No. 13 Penn State in the first match of the afternoon.
After neither team was able to get much going offensively in the first half, Loyd buried a scissor kick from just outside the 18-yard box for his first collegiate goal at 67:41. The Buckeye defense was attempting to clear a ball from in front of the goal, but Loyd intercepted the pass and scored to the left of Ohio State keeper Casey Latchem. The goal was the first allowed by OSU all season.
Loyd, a native of Verdigris, Okla., led the Tar Heels (3-0-0) with three shots on the night, as UNC outshot the Buckeyes, 14-8.
Carolina was also strong on the defensive side of the ball, and has still not allowed a goal this season. Dating to the start of the 2005 season, Carolina has 18 shutouts in its last 27 matches, including 11 in the last 13. The Tar Heels have now started with three straight shutouts in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. UNC has only opened a year with three consecutive shutouts three times in school history, 1968, 2005 and 2006.
Senior goalkeeper Justin Hughes was credited with only two saves but punched out a number of loose balls and came up with the ball in the midst of a flurry of Ohio State action as time expired in the second half. The Wake Forest product now has 16 shutouts in 28 career starts.
Latchem went the distance in goal for Ohio State (1-1-1) and made two saves.
In the first half, the Buckeyes nearly scratched in the 32nd minute but a back save by Ted Odgers and a stop by Hughes kept them off the board. OSU's Ryan Kustos fired on an empty net, but Odgers made a save at the far post, and Hughes followed with a save on a rebound shot by Danny Irizarry to keep the match scoreless at the half. The Tar Heels took a 6-4 lead in shots into intermission.
All four teams are back in action Sunday with the Demon Deacons (3-0-0) and Buckeyes scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Carolina will host the Nittany Lions (1-2-0) in the final game of the event at 3:30 p.m.
