University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Tar Heels Fall Short In Upset Bid Of No. 1 Wake Forest
November 16, 2007 | Men's Soccer
Nov. 16, 2007
CARY, N.C. - North Carolina battled No. 1-ranked Wake Forest to the bitter end Friday but fell 1-0 on a Marcus Tracy goal with just 38 seconds left in the first overtime Friday in Atlantic Coast Conference semifinal action at SAS Soccer Complex. With the loss, the Tar Heels fall to 7-8-5 and will miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.
Tracy's eighth goal of the season sends the Demon Deacons (17-1-2) to Sunday's championship game against top-seeded Boston College. He dribbled the ball up the left flank, past charging UNC goalkeeper Tyler Deric, into the box and fired from 15 yards into an open net for the game-winner.
"It was a heck of game," said UNC head coach Elmar Bolowich. "Just two teams battling it out, flat out laying it on the line, and neither team wanted to surrender, and it came down to that one team made a play. It's either gonna be you making it or the other guy making it, and tonight it was them, and that's how they advanced, and that's soccer. I think these games are much, much more interesting than the ones where you break away with a three, four goal lead. These games tell a lot about your players and a lot about your opponents."
The Tar Heels and Demon Deacons finished with nine shots each, with Carolina posting a 6-4 edge on corner kicks. Each team had one shot in extra time with Zach Loyd putting one on frame for the Tar Heels in the 95th minute before Tracy's game winner. Deric finished with three saves for UNC, while Wake's Brian Edwards stopped five shots en route to the shutout.
The Tar Heels held possession for much of the first half and outshot the Deacs, 6-3. Edwards turned away a pair of quality chances for Carolina to keep the match scoreless heading into intermission. Junior Michael Callahan fired a 25-yard free kick on frame that Edwards pushed over the crossbar in the 22nd minute, and classmate Brian Shriver followed with a one-on-one shot in the 32nd that Edwards halted with a diving save. Deric made a pair of first-half stops.
Wake Forest controlled the pace of play for much of the second period with a 5-2 edge on the shot chart after the break. The Deacons squandered a golden opportunity in the 80th minute when Carolina All-ACC center back Andre Sherard turned away an Austin da Luz shot in the box, and Sam Cronin followed with a rebound shot just over the crossbar.
In the final minute of regulation, Wake's Zack Schilawski was one-on-one with Deric but fired wide left. Loyd followed second later with a shot saved by Edwards with four seconds remaining in regulation.
