University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Earn Top Overall Seed In NCAA Tournament
November 14, 2011 | Men's Soccer
Nov. 14, 2011
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina will be the top overall seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament when it kicks of Thursday, Nov. 17 at campus sites. The Tar Heels went 17-2-2 during the regular season and have won six straight entering the tournament. Carolina will host the winner of Elon and Coastal Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. at Fetzer Field.
The Tar Heels, who receive a first-round bye as one of 16 seeded squads, will open their 19th NCAA postseason appearance Sunday at Fetzer Field at 5 p.m. against the winner of Thursday's match between Elon and Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $5 for students and will be for sale on TarHeelBlue.com.
Carolina will enter the NCAA Tournament on a seven-match unbeaten streak, the last six of which have been Tar Heel victories. The Tar Heels will have the luxury of playing all potential home games up until the College Cup at Fetzer Field where Carolina is unbeaten in its last 23 matches.
UNC is 12-0-1 all-time against Elon and 2-1-0 against Coastal Carolina. The other seeded teams in UNC's quarter of the bracket are No. 8 UC Irvine, No. 9 St. John's and No. 16 Indiana.
Carolina, which is a top-16 national seed for the fourth straight year, is making its 12th postseason appearance in the last 13 seasons and has hosted at least one postseason match at Fetzer Field 10 times since 2000. The Tar Heels are 24-16-4 in NCAA Tournament action.
UNC has made seven trips to the NCAA quarterfinals, five trips to the College Cup and won the national title in 2001. In 2008, the Tar Heels advanced to the NCAA College Cup and finished as the national runner-up and advanced once again to the College Cup the past two years.
The Tar Heels are led by junior forward Billy Schuler's 32 points on the season as he has found the back of the net 14 times en route to All-ACC First Team honors. Carolina placed five players on the All-ACC teams with Schuler, ACC Defender of the Year Matt Hedges, goalkeeper Scott Goodwin and midfielder Enzo Martinez earning first team plaudits. Senior captain Kirk Urso earned a second straight All-ACC Second Team honor.
Carolina has outscored its opponents 49-14 on the year and has been anchored by a steady defense that ranks 11th in the country in goals against average at 0.65 per contest. The offense has been even better in 2011 as the Tar Heels have scored the second most goals in the nation.
The Tar Heels are one of six ACC teams in the 48-team field and are joined by Boston College and Maryland as a national seed as the Eagles picked up the No. 4 national seed and the Terps earned the NO. 5 seed. Also in the tournament is Virginia, Duke and Wake Forest.
Nine teams the Tar Heels faced in the regular season earned a bid to the tournament, including four teams that earned national seeds in Boston College (4), Maryland (5), Louisville (12) and James Madison (14).
