University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Maryland
No. 4 Terps Oust No. 20 Tar Heels In ACC Quarters
November 12, 2008 | Men's Soccer
Nov. 12, 2008
CARY, N.C. - No. 4 Maryland rode a 14th-minute goal from Jeremy Hall and six saves from goalkeeper Zac Macmath to a 1-0 win over No. 20 North Carolina Wednesday at WakeMed Soccer Park in the first quarterfinal match of the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Soccer Championship.
With the victory, the Terrapins (16-3-0) move on to face the winner between No. 3 seed Boston College and No. 6 seed Virginia Friday at 5:30 p.m. The Tar Heels (11-7-1) will now hope to receive an at-large bid to the 2008 NCAA Championship, when the field is announced Monday.
Carolina has lost five straight matches in the same season for the first time in school history. The Tar Heels lost seven straight over the 1953-54 seasons. Three of UNC's five successive losses have come to top-four ranked opponents.
The Terps struck quickly, grabbing a 1-0 lead on their first shot of the afternoon in the 14th minute when Hall rifled home a seven-yard strike from the left side. Rich Costanzo served the ball from the right flank to Hall, who trapped it, collected and fired past UNC keeper Brooks Haggerty. Doug Rodkey was also credited with an assist on the play.
"It was a hard-fought contest," Carolina head coach Elmar Bolowich said. "Maryland got the early goal and was able to hold on to that. I'm proud of our effort."
Carolina nearly answered just over five minutes later when Cameron Brown fired from 25 yards out and hit the left-hand post, but offensive chances were few in the first half as the teams combined for just six shots.
Early in the second half, the Tar Heels withstood an offensive flurry from Maryland to keep the deficit at one goal. Jason Herrick sent an open shot off the left post from 22 yards out in the 52nd minute, and Casey Townsend followed just one minute later with a one-on-one chance against Haggerty, but the Carolina keeper punched it out with his left hand to thwart the scoring opportunity.
Still down a score, the Tar Heels picked up the intensity midway through the second half, taking five straight shots after Haggerty's key save. After Eddie Ababio, who started at outside back for the first time this season, nearly found the equalizer in the 55th minute, Zach Loyd had an open shot stopped by a diving Mcmath in the 70th minute. Brown followed with his second quality chance in the 71st with a shot over the crossbar.
UNC kept up the pressure late in regulation, as leading scorer Brian Shriver had a 30-yard free kick saved by Mcmath in the 77th minute. The Maryland keeper also saved a Sheanon Williams header off long ball served by Ababio 88th.
"We played much harder in the second half, but unfortunately we weren't able to capitalize on that," Bolowich said. "If you don't score, you don't win."
Carolina finished the afternoon with a 9-7 lead on the shot chart and a 6-2 edge in shots on goal.
After blanking Maryland in the second half in the regular season finale, Haggerty made just his third start of the season, making one save and allowing one goal.
The Tar Heels will now await the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, which airs Monday on ESPNews, to learn their postseason fate. Carolina was rated No. 11 in the latest edition of the official NCAA Ratings Percentage Index, which was released Monday.
