University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Face Indiana, Akron In Exhibition Matches
August 22, 2008 | Men's Soccer
Aug. 22, 2008
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 24 North Carolina will look to tune up for the upcoming men's soccer season against some tough competition this weekend at the National Soccer Festival in Ft. Wayne, Ind. The Tar Heels will face No. 7 Indiana at 7:30 p.m. Friday and No. 12 Akron at noon Sunday in exhibition matches.
"The tougher the schedule in the beginning, the better it is," says head coach Elmar Bolowich, who is opening his 20th season at Carolina. "I always like to play hard (opponents) early on because it truly exposes your weaknesses. You know what you have to work on, you know what you have to fix and it gives you a bit of an indicator as to where you are against other ranked teams. I don't mind that. I'm looking forward to that kind of challenge."
Carolina is 2-2-0 in four all-time meetings with the Hoosiers. The teams last met in the 2001 national championship game, with the Tar Heels claiming a 2-0 victory and the program's first NCAA title.
Against Akron, UNC is 2-0-1, including a 3-0 shutout of the Zips in Winston-Salem, N.C., at the Wake Forest adidas Classic a year ago.
The Tar Heels open the regular season next weekend against Florida International and VCU at the annual Carolina Nike Classic at Fetzer Field. No. 1 Wake Forest rounds out the four-team field.
