University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Selected As ACC Favorite
August 19, 2009 | Men's Soccer
Aug. 19, 2009
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The North Carolina men's soccer program is the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference preseason favorite, as determined by a vote of the league's nine head coaches, Commissioner John D. Swofford announced Wednesday.
North Carolina, which ended the 2008 season as the national runner-up, narrowly beat Virginia as the preseason pick for the upcoming season. The Tar Heels also open their 2009 campaign as the nation's No. 2 ranked team according to the NSCAA Men's Preseason Top 25, which was released Tuesday.
Carolina returns four of its top six scorers from last year's 15-8-1 squad, which advanced to the finals of the 2008 NCAA College Cup. In addition to one of the nation's top recruiting classes, the Tar Heels welcome back five players that tallied 10 or more points a year ago, including freshman All-America picks Billy Schuler and Kirk Urso and senior Eddie Ababio. Brooks Haggerty returns in goal after a stellar postseason run in 2008.
The Tar Heels were last picked to win the league title in 2006.
Virginia returns 92 percent of its goal-scoring, including 36-of-39 total goals from last year's squad that continued its longest active streak in the nation with its 29th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Cavalier midfielder and 2008 ACC Freshman of the Year Tony Tchani, who returns for his sophomore campaign, was named as one of the 38 members of the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List.
Defending national champion Maryland and Wake Forest wrap up the top four ACC predictions as the Terrapins went a program-best 23-3 in 2008 and carry a 16-game win streak into the 2009 season. Completing the preseason poll in order of projected finish are NC State, Boston College, Duke, Clemson and Virginia Tech, respectively.
The 2009 season gets under way on Tuesday, Sept. 1. ACC competition opens on Friday, Sept. 11 when defending ACC & NCAA champion Maryland hosts Boston College, and Duke goes on the road to face Virginia.
2009 Preseason ACC Men's Soccer Poll School (first-place votes) Points 2008 Record 1. North Carolina (5) 73 15-8-1 (3-5-0 ACC) 2. Virginia (4) 72 11-9-1 (4-4-0 ACC) 3. Maryland 64 23-3-0 (6-2-0 ACC) 4. Wake Forest 55 21-2-1 (7-0-1 ACC) 5. NC State 40 9-9-1 (3-5-0 ACC)* 6. Boston College 37 11-7-3 (5-3-0 ACC)* 7. Duke 32 10-8-2 (3-3-2 ACC) 8. Clemson 23 7-9-2 (3-4-1 ACC) 9. Virginia Tech 9 5-13-1 (0-8-0 ACC) *NC State defeated Boston College 2-0 on Sept. 27; however, NC State forfeited the win and the standing reflects the adjusted record.
