University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Liberty
No. 8 Tar Heels Top Liberty To Remain Unbeaten
September 16, 2008 | Men's Soccer
Sept. 16, 2008
LYNCHBURG, Va. - Freshman forward Alex Dixon scored two goals, including the game-winner late in the first half, to pace No. 8 North Carolina to a 4-1 win over Liberty Tuesday at Liberty Soccer Field. In addition to Dixon's first two career scores, forwards Eddie Ababio and Brian Shriver each found the back of the net for the Tar Heels (5-0-1).
Dixon tallied the game-winner in the 45th minute and he closed the scoring with an unassisted goal in the 88th minute for the final three-goal margin and Carolina's best start since 2005.
The Tar Heels' leading scorer with four goals, Ababio put UNC on the board at 33:07 when he beat Liberty goalkeeper Paul Gilbert one-on-one after Carolina keeper Brooks Haggerty sent a long kick to Billy Schuler, who headed the ball down to Ababio just outside the box. Both Haggerty and Schuler picked up their first career assists on the play.
The Flames (3-2-0) answered just 17 seconds later at 33:24 with Joshua Boateng's third goal of the season. Chris Phillips took the initial shot that was blocked by the UNC defense, and Boateng finished to knot the score at one.
With just one minute on the clock before intermission, Dixon gave the Tar Heels a lead they would not relinquish when he finished a Michael Callahan corner kick for a 2-1 advantage. Midfielder Garry Lewis headed the corner to the wing, and Dixon finished into the left side of the net for his first goal as a Tar Heel.
Shriver opened a late scoring burst for UNC in the 80th minute to put the match away. He took a cross from Chris Lebo and scored on the left side, before Dixon closed the scoring just over eight minutes later. The Humble, Texas, native collected a turnover in front of the net and beat Gilbert for his second goal of the night.
In his first action of the season, Haggerty went the full 90 minutes in goal and made two stops. Gilbert made one save for the Flames, as the Tar Heels posted a 12-7 lead in shots and a 9-1 advantage in corners.
Carolina returns to Atlantic Coast Conference action Friday at 7 p.m. at Boston College.
