University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Boston College
Tar Heels Win ACC Regular Season Title With 2-0 Win
November 2, 2011 | Men's Soccer
Nov. 2, 2011
NEWTON, Mass. - No. 3 North Carolina used a pair of second half goals to win the ACC regular season title for the third consecutive year Wednesday night with a 2-0 win at Boston College. Matt Hedges put the Tar Heels in front in the 61st minute before Billy Schuler put the match away with his 13th goal of the year in the 74th minute.
After scoreless first half that saw a 4-2 shot advantage in favor of the Tar Heels Carolina used another second half scoring surge to claim its third straight win and run its league unbeaten streak to seven.
Billy Schuler was the only player to challenge the net in the opening 45 minutes when he forced Boston College's Justin Luthy into the save in the 25th minute.
oston College threatened in the early minutes of the second half when Diego Medina-Mendez forced goalkeeper Scott Goodwin into a save in the 53rd minute.
The Tar Heels were able to earn a free kick in the attacking third when Stefan Carter was issued a yellow card giving Carolina a dangerous free kick.
Enzo Martinez took the free kick from just outside the box and senior defender Matt Hedges was able to get a head on the ball to deflect it into the back of the net to put Carolina in front 1-0 in the 61st minute. The goal was Hedges' fourth of the season and gave Martinez his team-leading eighth assist of the year.
Less than 12 minutes later Billy Schuler put the game away when he tallied his team-leading 13th goal of the year.
After receiving a long pass from Ben Speas in the midfield, Schuler was able to settle the ball and slot a shot past the keeper from 12 yards out to extend Carolina's lead to 2-0.
The Tar Heels continued to threaten the target despite the 2-0 lead as Ben Speas sent a shot over the cross bar in the 75th minute.
The 76th minute saw Jordan Gafa put a shot on frame that Luthy was able to save and keep the deficit at two. Gafa tallied the final shot of the night in the 79th minute when he sent a header wide of the target.
Carolina finished with an 11-3 shot advantage in the win as the Tar Heels earned the top seed in the ACC Tournament.
With the top seed Carolina will host the No. 8 vs. No. 9 play-in game Monday afternoon at Fetzer Field before hosting the winner in an ACC quarterfinal match on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The ACC regular season title is the third straight for the Tar Heels and second consecutive outright title.
