University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Tackle Akron In College Cup Semis
December 8, 2009 | Men's Soccer
Dec. 8, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 5 seed North Carolina will open its second straight trip to the NCAA Men's Soccer College Cup against No. 1 seed Akron Friday at 7:30 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park. The game will air live on ESPNU with J.P. Dellacamera and Kyle Martino on the call.
Unbeaten in their last eight games, the Tar Heels (16-2-3) have allowed just one goal in wins over Brown, Indiana and Drake en route to the national semifinals. The unbeaten Zips (23-0-0) have defeated South Florida, Stanford and Tulsa on their way to Cary. Friday's winner will meet Virginia or Wake Forest in Sunday's national title game at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.
National Rankings
The Tar Heels are ranked No. 4 by Soccer America and the NSCAA. Akron is ranked No. 1 in both polls.
Carolina Quick Kicks
• Carolina is making its fourth trip to the College Cup (1987, 2001, 2008, 2009), second in a row and third this decade.
• Since 2000, UNC has reached three College Cups, captured one national title and advanced to the national quarterfinals five times. Seventeen of Carolina's 24 all-time NCAA victories have come this decade.
• UNC is one of just five teams to make at least three trips to the College Cup this decade.
• The Tar Heels have won seven of their last eight postseason games with their only loss over this stretch coming in last year's NCAA title game to Maryland.
• UNC also faced the nation's No. 1 team in last year's NCAA semifinals and posted a 1-0 victory over top-ranked Wake Forest. This was UNC's last game versus a No. 1-ranked opponent.
• The Tar Heels are one of the most balanced teams in the nation, ranking seventh in goals against average (0.55) and 11th in goals scored per game (2.05).
• Senior captain and defender Zach Loyd was honored as one of 15 semifinalists for the Hermann Trophy, which is presented annually to the top player in college soccer.
• Carolina features three Cary natives on its roster - starting goalkeeper Brooks Haggerty, starting center back Drew McKinney and reserve forward Martin Murphy.
• All five of the Tar Heels' postseason goals have come from the sophomore trio of Alex Dixon (3), Billy Schuler (1) and Kirk Urso (1).
• Carolina has allowed just one goal in the postseason and has notched five shutouts in eight chances in the NCAA Tournament over the past two seasons.
• This year's UNC squad has scored 43 goals after tallying 47 last season. Carolina last posted 40 or more scores in back-to-back seasons in 2001-02.
• Normally No. 3, forward Alex Dixon will wear No. 17 at the College Cup after his usual jersey disappeared following the regular-season finale at Clemson. Dixon has scored in three straight games wearing No. 17.
Tar Heels' College Cup History
Friday's match versus Akron marks the Tar Heels' fourth national semifinal appearance, and Carolina owns a 2-1-0 all-time record in the semis. UNC has won its last two semifinal matches and is 1-1-0 in two title game trips. The Tar Heels are 3-2-0 all-time in five College Cup matches.
Series History
North Carolina is unbeaten in three all-time meetings against Akron with a 2-0-1 mark. The Tar Heels and Zips last met in the 2007 Wake Forest adidas Classic in Winston-Salem, N.C., with UNC claiming a 3-0 victory. The Tar Heels posted an overtime win over Akron in the 2002 Carolina Nike Classic and played to a tie in an in-season tournament in Columbia, S.C., in 1982.
Carolina Joins Elite Company In The 2000s
With its 2-1 win over Drake, Carolina advanced to NCAA College Cup for the fourth time and the third occasion this decade. The Tar Heels are in elite company, as only five schools have reached the national semifinals three times since 2000. Carolina and Wake Forest are the only two teams to reach the College Cup in each of the last two seasons.
History At Tournament Time
Carolina is making its 17th NCAA championship appearance and it owns a 24-15-0 record in the postseason. The Tar Heels are making their 14th postseason trip - and 10th in 11 years - under head coach Elmar Bolowich, who is 20-12-0 in NCAA Tournament play. The Tar Heels are 16-7-0 in all-time NCAA Tournament action at Fetzer Field. Carolina, which has a 17-8-0 record in the tournament over its last 10 appearances, has made four College Cup appearances (1987, 2001, 2008, 2009) and captured the 2001 national title.
Dixon On A Scoring Streak
Sophomore forward Alex Dixon, who has six goals in the last seven games, has scored in three straight contests for the first time in his career and has equaled the top postseason scoring streak in school history in the process.
The Humble, Texas, native is the first Tar Heel to score in three straight NCAA Tournament contests since Derek Missimo, UNC's all-time leading scorer, found the back of the net in three straight NCAA games in 1987. Dixon and classmate Kirk Urso are already tied for fourth in school history in NCAA Tournament goals.
Sophomores Shining In The Postseason
Carolina's sophomore class has been responsible for all five of the Tar Heels' postseason goals - three from Alex Dixon, one from Billy Schuler and one from Kirk Urso, who has also added two assists.
This class also netted three of the Tar Heels' six scores in last year's NCAA tourney, meaning this trio has scored eight of UNC's last 11 postseason goals.
Home Sweet Home
North Carolina will have to travel just 23 miles to this year's College Cup, and staying close to home is usually a recipe for success for UNC in the postseason. The Tar Heels are 18-7-0 all-time in the NCAA Tournament in the state of North Carolina. The Tar Heels are 16-7-0 at home and 1-0-0 in Durham and Winston-Salem.
UNC will be playing in the College Cup in its home state for the first time after falling in the quarterfinals in 2005 and 2000 when the final four was set for Cary and Charlotte, respectively.
Success In Cary; Tops In The Triangle
Carolina has enjoyed success in Cary over the years, posting a 5-4-4 mark at WakeMed Soccer Park since the facility opened in 2002. The Tar Heels have lost only three times in their last 12 games in Cary, but have been eliminated from the ACC Tournament on penalty kicks three times since 2003.
For the second straight season and just the third time since the national championship season of 2001, Carolina defeated both Duke and NC State in the regular season to claim the unofficial Triangle derby.
Tough To Beat With Two Goals
The Tar Heels have scored at least two goals in 13 of 21 games this season and are 12-0-1 when finding the back of net at least twice. This continues a trend for Carolina, which is now 33-2-2 when scoring twice over the last four seasons. UNC scored twice 13 times a year ago and went 11-2-0.
Defenders Overcome Injuries
Sophomore defenders Brett King and Drew McKinney have overcome a great deal en route to this weekend's College Cup. Key parts of Carolina's top-notch defense, both players had dealt with multiple surgeries since coming to Chapel Hill. King, who has played in 19 games, has had five foot surgeries in the last two years, and McKinney, who has started all 21 games, has had three hip surgeries.
Carolina's Stingy Defense
North Carolina has allowed just 12 goals on the season and yielded just two scores on two occasions - to NCAA sides Wake Forest and Boston College. The Tar Heels have posted shutouts in over half of their games this season - 11 of 21.
UNC Is Soccer U.
For the second straight year, North Carolina has placed its men's and women's soccer teams in the final four of the NCAA Tournament. No other school can make this claim over 2008-09. Additionally, UNC is the only school to place both its men's and women's teams in the College Cup this year.
Big Fall In Chapel Hill
North Carolina sent three of its fall teams - men's soccer, women's soccer and field hockey - to the NCAA final four of their respective sports. Field hockey captured its sixth national title, and women's soccer followed with its 21st national crown. The Tar Heel men are in search of their second championship.
Well-Tested Tar Heels
Carolina has played 11 of its 21 matches against teams that reached the 48-team NCAA tourney field. The Tar Heels have compiled a 7-2-2 record in these games and are unbeaten - 2-0-2 - in four matches against the tourney's top 16 seeds.
Tar Heels Winning With Balance
Carolina's formula for success this season has been a balanced team across the board. The Tar Heels are second in the ACC in scoring with 43 goals and in scoring defense with just 12 goals allowed. UNC is the only team to rank in the league's top two in both categories.
Offensively, goals have come from throughout the Carolina lineup. Eleven different players have found the back of the net. Four players own five-plus goals and six players have three or more goals on the season.
Schuler Finishes Strong
Sophomore forward Billy Schuler, who was named ACC and national player of the week for the final week of the regular season, has closed the year on a strong note. He scored three goals - including two game-winners - in the final week of the regular season and has scored five goals and posted 13 points over the last 10 games. He leads UNC with 23 points and nine goals.
Healthy Haggerty Strong In Net
Senior goalkeeper Brooks Haggerty was outstanding in the 2008 postseason run and has picked up where he left off in 2009. After battling injuries for much of his UNC career, Haggerty entered 2009 in the best shape of his collegiate career and owns a 0.59 goals against average and 47 saves in 1,681 minutes. He missed three games with a hip injury but returned in the regular-season finale and has allowed just two goals over the last five matches, including a run of three straight shutouts.
