University of North Carolina Athletics
From Fetzer To Finley: Achieving The Result
December 12, 2011 | Men's Soccer, Dave Lohse, Featured Writers
Dec. 12, 2011
by Dave Lohse, Associate Athletic Communications Director
In soccer it's all about the result. There are no style points. Statistics are virtually meaningless. It's what makes soccer one of sport's purest games.
From August to December, the 2011 University of North Carolina men's soccer team was the nation's best. Its top seed in the NCAA Tournament was earned by slogging through one of the country's most daunting schedules. Along the way the Heels claimed the outright ACC regular season championship and then won the ACC Tournament title.
The team's two losses, against Virginia Tech and Davidson, were in games in which the Tar Heels thoroughly dominated their opponents statistically. The ties were against NCAA soccer royalty -- Duke, Maryland, UCLA -- the last in an NCAA College Cup semifinal that will be remembered for years to come for the quality of play on both sides.
So it is with a sense of irony that in Sunday's championship match, the Tar Heels, who had excelled at playing the beautiful game all season, relied on heart and guts to overcome championship worthy Charlotte 1-0. With their legs spent after the grueling penalty kick win over UCLA Friday night, the Tar Heels turned blue collar in the final and showed the nation they were equally adept at winning in that fashion. Yes, Charlotte doubled up the Tar Heels in shots. Yes, Charlotte had amazing chances to score. But soccer, the cruel mistress that it is, remains about achieving the result.
In any other circumstance I would have been rooting my heart out for the 49ers. Here's hoping that in some future year when Carolina doesn't make the College Cup the 49ers claim the national title they arguably deserved Sunday. Charlotte's run through Akron, Connecticut and Creighton en route to the championship game was an amazing accomplishment in itself.
With Carolina's victory came the men's soccer team's second title - the first having coming 10 years ago - and the University's 40th national championship overall.
While I know many Americans would rather gouge their eyes out than watch a soccer match, let me assure you those folks missed an amazing two days of soccer in the 2011 College Cup. The semifinal games were both thrilling clashes. The gritty final never gave the fans a chance to take a deep breath. Running to the concession stand to get a hot chocolate wasn't an option for fear you might miss something important.
When all is said and done, this championship will rightfully be savored for years. The Tar Heels lost seven starters off last year's stellar team that reached Carolina's third straight College Cup only to lose a heartbreaking semifinal to Louisville in the last minute of play. That came a year after the 2009 semifinal match had ended in a penalty kick loss to Akron and the 2008 championship match was dropped one-nil to a heavily favored Maryland side.
Then in February, the Tar Heels lost their head mentor of 22 season as Elmar Bolowich departed for Creighton where he did a brilliant job in his first season, taking the Bluejays to the College Cup as the No. 2 seed.
Into the void stepped long-time UNC assistant Carlos Somoano. The quiet, rock-steady, self-assured Somoano was clearly the favorite of the returning players who lobbied then athletic director Dick Baddour on his behalf. Somoano had been instrumental in bringing most of those current players to Chapel Hill as Bolowich's chief recruiter.
To a man, the Carolina players credited Somoano with the success of this team. Captain Kirk Urso, the anchor of the midfield, talked repeatedly about what a family this team had become. Urso, goalkeeper Scott Goodwin, defender Drew McKinney and midfielder Enzo Martinez were Carolina's returning starters from the 2010 squad. McKinney was limited to four starts by injury but the return of Billy Schuler was a key ingredient to this year's success. Schuler missed the 2010 season but came back to score 16 goals in 2011, including the game-tying tally in the waning minutes of Friday's semifinal against UCLA.
Sophomore forward Rob Lovejoy and junior defender Jordan Gafa moved into the starting lineup and freshmen Jordan McCrary on defense, Mikey Lopez in the midfield and Boyd Okwuonu on defense joined them from the opening whistle of the season.
The final ingredients, and how important these two were, came in the form of transfers Ben Speas and Matt Hedges. Speas was the 12th man on Akron's 2010 NCAA championship team. All he did this year was score big goals and record big assists, particularly in ACC Tournament and NCAA settings. Speas' hideously sick strike in the 65th minute of the championship game sealed the Tar Heels' ultimate fate. Hedges, a transfer from Butler, was a Behemoth in the back line. The Carmel, Ind., native (that's CAR-mull, not car-MELL) used his 6-4 frame to steel the defense. He rarely, if ever, got beat by his man, was a terror on set pieces and anchored a defense that didn't get its due, partly because of the stature of Carolina's attacking presence.
Looking back, the steely resolve of this championship unit cannot be underestimated. They never flinched. They outscored opponents 41-10 on the season in the second halves of games and won five successive NCAA games without scoring a first half goal.
All the while, Somoano's steady demeanor stayed the course. He was the perfect coach for a side that played the game beautifully, played every minute on the pitch for each other and played with the commitment to excellence befitting a champion. Well played gentlemen!
