University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Travel To No. 2 Wake Forest
November 2, 2007 | Men's Soccer
Nov. 2, 2007
Carolina-Wake Forest Notes in PDF Format 
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina opens a tough two-match stretch to close the regular season Saturday when it travels to No. 2 Wake Forest for a 7 p.m. Atlantic Coast Conference battle. The Tar Heels (6-5-5, 3-3-0 ACC) are currently in fifth place in the league standings, while the Demon Deacons (12-1-2, 4-1-1 ACC) are second. A webcast of the match will be available live and on-demand at ACCSelect.com.
ALL-TIME SERIES RESULTS
The Tar Heels lead the all-time series with Wake Forest, 19-7-7, but the Deacs have had the upper hand in recent years. Carolina is just 1-4-2 against Wake since 2001 with the lone win coming at Spry Stadium on a Michael Callahan overtime goal in 2005.
OFFENSE COMING AROUND
Prior to Wednesday's loss to Campbell, the Tar Heel attack was clicking on all cylinders with seven goals scored in wins over High Point and Clemson. In fact, Carolina scored three or more goals in back-to-back games for the first time since 3-0 wins over Connecticut and New Hampshire early in the 2003 season.
BALANCED ATTACK FOR HEELS
Carolina has eight players with at least six points on the season, a claim only two other ACC squads can make. Wake Forest leads the way with 10 players with six-plus points, and Virginia Tech shares the No. 2 spot with the Tar Heels with eight.
ABABIO SHOWING VERSATILITY
Defender Eddie Ababio had his most productive game as a Tar Heel last week with four points on two assists and a penalty kick goal in the 4-0 win over High Point Oct. 23. The points were the first of the season for Ababio, who shifted to outside back for the first time this season but moved up front when the Tar Heels fell behind against Campbell Wednesday. He responded with his second goal in the last three games. The Tampa product has played extremely well in his new position and is one of just two players to start all 16 games this season.
CALLAHAN MAKING PLAYS
Play making midfielder Michael Callahan has been a key part of Carolina's offensive attack with a team-best five assists, including three over the last five games. The Cary native set up both Bill Dworsky goals in the win over Clemson and has assisted on half of Dworsky's six scores this season. Callahan and Dworsky are roommates and have combined for seven goals and eight assists on the season.
SHERARD TO MAKE 80TH START SATURDAY
Senior defender Andre Sherard should make the 80th start of his career Saturday at Wake Forest. The game will also make the 81st game that he has played in since 2004. Sherard has missed just one game in his career and has started 79 of a possible 81 games over the last four seasons. The school record for games played in a career is 88 held by Chris Leitch and Noz Yamauchi, who played from 1998-2001.
SHERARD ANCHORS DEFENSE ONCE AGAIN
Senior center back Andre Sherard is once again making his presence felt despite not taking a shot or tallying a single point this season. The UNC captain has organized a young back line into a defensive unit that has allowed only 15 goals in 16 games and posted six shutouts. The Tar Heels sport a 0.87 goals against average on the season.
CAROLINA LOOKING STRONG IN THE RPI
Despite a slow start and a 6-4-5 overall record as of Oct. 30, North Carolina was rated No. 21 in the most recent edition of the NCAA's official Ratings Percentage Index for men's soccer. The RPI is a factor in selection and seeding for the NCAA Tournament, which the Tar Heels have made for a school-record eight straight years. Six ACC teams were ranked in the top 21 of the RPI, including No. 1 Wake Forest - the Tar Heels' next opponent.
TAR HEELS BATTLING TOUGH SCHEDULE
Despite facing a schedule that owns a combined 161-84-41 record, the Tar Heels have lost only five of their 16 matches on the season. Carolina has lost to three of the top 20 teams in this week's RPI as well as a 10-3-2 Monmouth squad and a 10-4-2 Campbell side. The Tar Heels' schedule is ranked as the 19th-toughest in the nation by MasseyRatings.com.
ACADEMIC HONORS FOR ABABIO, DWORSKY
Sophomores Eddie Ababio and Bill Dworsky were honored Thursday for excellence on the field and in the classroom with spots on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III First Team for men's soccer as selected by members of College Sports Information Directors of America.
The versatile Ababio is one of just two players to start all 16 games for the Tar Heels this season. While predominantly playing outside back, he has tallied six points on two goals and two assists. Ababio scored four points on a goal and two assists against High Point Oct. 23 and added a goal against Campbell Wednesday. The Tampa, Fla., native owns a 3.58 grade point average in biology.
A forward, Dworsky leads UNC in scoring with 15 points on six goals and three assists. He has two multi-goal games on the season, including a two-score effort against Clemson last Sunday. Dworsky, who also scored twice against Akron Sept. 9, leads the Tar Heels with three game-winning goals. The Huntsville, Ala., native owns a 4.0 GPA and has not declared a major.
CAROLINA CONTROLLING POSSESSION
Despite struggling to find the back of the net for much of the season, the Tar Heels have dominated possession for most of their first 16 games and have generated plenty of scoring chances. Carolina has taken 244 shots on the season and 119 corner kicks for an average of 15.3 shots and 7.4 corners per match. Conversely, the Tar Heels' defense is holding the opposition to just 8.6 shots and 2.9 corners per game.
