University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 2 Tar Heels, No. 6 Deacons Square Off Friday
October 8, 2009 | Men's Soccer
Oct. 8, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Another week in the Atlantic Coast Conference, another nationally-ranked opponent for No. 2 North Carolina, which travels to No. 6 Wake Forest Friday for a 7 p.m. start at Spry Stadium. Despite facing a top-25 foe in each of their first four league matches, the Tar Heels (8-1-1, 3-1-0 ACC) are off to their best conference start since 2001 and sit atop the ACC standings.
The Demon Deacons (7-2-1, 2-1-0 ACC) present a fifth consecutive ranked league opponent for Carolina. Friday's meeting will be the first for the teams since UNC scored a 1-0 win over No. 1-ranked Wake Forest in last year's national semifinal. The Tar Heels lead the all-time series by a 20-10-7 margin, but last year's NCAA victory was the first for Carolina over Wake since 2005, the last time UNC was victorious at Spry Stadium.
The Tar Heel defense enters Friday's matchup with a string of 290 consecutive scoreless minutes over their last four outings. Thanks to this run, senior goalkeeper Brooks Haggerty leads the ACC in nearly every goalkeeping category, including goals against average (0.48), save percentage (.839) and shutouts (five).
Carolina ranks as the most balanced team in the ACC, as it leads the league in goals against average and shares the top spot in the conference with 20 goals scored. The Tar Heels have outscored the opposition by a 20-5 margin.
Offensively, UNC features a balanced attacked paced by three players with four goals and at least nine points each - midfielders Cameron Brown and Michael Farfan and forward Billy Schuler. All three are tied for fourth in the league in goals, while Schuler and Farfan and tied for sixth with 10 points each.
Wake Forest has scored eight times in its last two matches, a 5-1 win at Virginia Tech and a 3-0 victory at UNC Greensboro. Zack Schilawski, who had a hat trick in Blacksburg, leads the Deacs with 13 points on five goals and three assists, while Austin da Luz has 10 points on two goals and six assists. In goal for Wake Forest, Akira Fitzgerald owns a 0.82 GAA in 874 minutes.
Following Friday's clash, the Tar Heels return home to Fetzer Field to face Campbell Tuesday, Oct. 13 and Boston College Friday, Oct. 17 next week.
