University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 2 Tar Heels Head To Old Dominion
September 28, 2010 | Men's Soccer
Sept. 28, 2010
Tar Heels Look To Continue Winning Streak
North Carolina will look for its sixth consecutive win Tuesday night when it heads to Norfolk, Va. to take on Old Dominion at 7 p.m. The Tar Heels dropped their opening contest against No. 1 Akron before rattling off five straight wins, including three in conference play for the first time since 1967.
National Rankings
The Tar Heels are ranked No. 2 by the NSCAA, Top Drawer Soccer and College Soccer News. Old Dominion is unranked.
Series History
Carolina leads the all-time series, 5-4-2, with the most recent meeting coming 2007 when the teams battled to a 1-1 draw. The two squads had met four consecutive years before the two-year layoff between meetings.
Last 5 Meetings
2007 T, 1-1 OT - Chapel Hill
2006 L, 0-1 - Chapel Hill
2005 W, 2-1 - Chapel Hill
2004 L, 2-3 - Norfolk, Va.
2001 W, 2-0 - Chapel Hill
Tar Heels Sit Atop ACC Table
The Tar Heels accomplished a feat for the first time in more than 30 years on Friday when Carolina improved to 3-0 in conference play. The 9 points in 3 matches is the first for a Carolina squad since 1967. The Tar Heels have never started 4-0 in conference play.
The Tar Heels are currently three points ahead of Wake Forest at nine points, while the Demon Deacons are 3 points back at 2-0-0.
Non-Conference Supremacy
Since the start of the 2008 season the Tar Heels are 18-2-1 in non-conference regular season action, including a 2-1 mark this season.
The Tar Heels were a perfect 8-0-0 in non-conference action a year ago after posting an 8-1-1 mark in 2008.
Carolina opened the season with a 3-0 loss to No. 1 Akron before responding with a 4-1 win over Seton Hall. The Tar Heels stormed back for a 2-1 overtime win over Wofford a week ago.
Snapping A Streak
A 2-1 win over No. 5 Maryland on Friday snapped a nine-game unbeaten streak the Terps held going into the matchup.
The Tar Heels had not beaten the Terrapins since 2003, including a trio of losses in Maryland's championship season in 2008.
Senior Michael Farfan found the back of the net for the first time in 2010 as he struck from 35 yards out bending the ball away from one of the top goalkeepers in the country, Zac MacMath, to give Carolina a 1-0 lead.
Farfan picked up his second goal less than eight minutes into the second half when he converted a penalty as the Tar Heels took a 2-0 lead.
Farfan Earns Honors
Senior midfielder earned a trio of honors this week for his performance in the 2-1 win over Maryland on Friday.
Farfan became the second straight Tar Heel to earn Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week honors after Jalil Anibaba earned the honor after the shutout against Duke.
College Soccer News named the Wildomar, Calif., native to its National Team of the Week as well as Top Drawer Soccer's squad.
Tar Heels Sneak By Terriers
Kirk Urso scored on a free kick outside the box to give No. 3 North Carolina a 2-1 overtime win over upstart Wofford Tuesday night at Fetzer Field.
Wofford took the lead in the 71st minute when Armin Kinigardner was tripped up in the box and buried the penalty kick.
Josh Rice hit the woodwork four minutes later, and the Tar Heels had to wait for the 88th minute to get the equalizer from Eddie Ababio.
Urso notched his first goal of the 2010 campaign less than 5 minutes in to extra time to give Carolina the 2-1 win.
Triangle Derby Champions Yet Again
For the third straight season and just the fourth 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. The Tar Heels scored a 2-1 win over the Wolfpack Sept. 12 and followed with a 2-1 victory over the Blue Devils Sept. 18 in 2009. This season the Tar Heels took down the Wolfpack and Blue Devils by 1-0 margins.
Tar Heels Dealt A Blow
Junior forward Billy Schuler will miss the rest of the 2010 season after suffering a shoulder injury in the 4-1 win over Seton Hall on Sept. 5. Schuler collided with the Pirate goalkeeper after chasing down a long through ball.
The injury reaggravated one that Schuler suffered during the spring. The MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List member underwent surgery on Tuesday and will likely miss the 2010 campaign.
In Schuler's absence senior Eddie Ababio has returned to a familiar position shifting from left outside back to forward. The change has benefitted the Tar Heels as Ababio has notched two goals in four games. The Tampa, Fla., native scored the game winner against NC State and netted the game-tying score against Wofford on Tuesday.
Newcomers Strong In The Back
Senior transfer Jalil Anibaba and senior Dustin McCarty have gelled nicely in the Tar Heel backline. Anibaba arrived in January from Santa Clara where he was a three-time all-conference performer and has replaced MLS SuperDraft first round pick Zach Loyd quite nicely.
Dustin McCarty made the move from midfielder to defender this fall and appears to be comfortable through the opening three games. McCarty replaced the recently departed Jordan Graye who is now starting for the D.C. United of the MLS.
The duo of Brett King and Drew McKinney return after seeing action a year ago and help to provide a solid backline for the Tar Heels.
Results have been solid thus far, as the Tar Heels have yielded just six goals, two of which were from the penalty spot.
