University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Liberty
No. 2 Tar Heels Down Liberty, 1-0
October 6, 2009 | Men's Soccer
Oct. 6, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 2 North Carolina's defense allowed just seven shots en route to its third straight shutout, and sophomore forward Billy Schuler provided all the scoring the Tar Heels would need in a 1-0 win over Liberty Tuesday at Fetzer Field. Carolina (8-1-1) remained unbeaten on its home pitch with its ACC-best fifth shutout of the season.
With the Tar Heels dominating possession and the shot totals, Schuler's 75th-minute header gave UNC the advantage it pressed for after intermission. After the UNC defense blocked a shot attempt by the Flames (5-2-2), junior midfielder Michael Farfan, who fired six shots on the night, beat three defenders up the left side before chipping a cross to Schuler at far post to set up the game-winner.
Schuler drove home his fourth goal with a six-yard header just inside the left post for third game-winner, which matches Cameron Brown for the team lead. Carolina's goal was the first score allowed by Liberty in four games and just the third the Flames have yielded all season
Once the Tar Heels grabbed the lead, UNC keeper Brooks Haggerty made sure it held up with three saves over the final five minutes. In the 86th minute he dove and tipped away a shot by Timothy Bullock and also came up with big stops in the 88th and 90th minutes to earn his fifth clean sheet of the season.
Liberty goalkeeper Andrew Madero made seven saves, as the Tar Heels put eight of their 18 shots on goal.
After Carolina outshot the Flames by a 5-1 margin in an uneventful first half, the Tar Heels were the aggressor after intermission with 13 shots after the break. Farfan and Schuler sent chances just over the crossbar in the opening five minutes, and Schuler and Brown followed about 10 minutes later with quality strikes halted by Madero, who entered the match with six shutouts on the season.
Carolina is back in action Friday at No. 6 Wake Forest at 7 p.m. in Winston-Salem.
