University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Host Friars Friday With College Cup On The Line
November 30, 2016 | Men's Soccer
The Tar Heels advanced to the quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory at No. 8 seed Syracuse on Sunday afternoon, while Providence went on the road to defeat Creighton, 2-1, last Saturday in Omaha, Neb.
LAST GAME AT FETZER FIELD UNTIL 2018
History will be made on Friday night when the final soccer game at Fetzer Field will take place until 2018. Stadium renovations are slated to begin in 2017 with the Tar Heels expected to return to the grounds for the 2018 season. Fetzer Field has hosted numerous ACC Championship, NCAA Championship and Final Four matches in its hallowed history. The field is home to national championship winning programs in men's and women's soccer and men's and women's lacrosse.
The men's soccer team has played every season but one (1989) at Fetzer Field since 1947, compiling 421 victories along the way. A victory Friday sends UNC to its seventh College Cup, and first since winning the national title in 2011.
FREE TICKETS FOR ALL UNC STUDENTS
All UNC students can attend the game for FREE by showing a UNC One Card.
MATCH INFORMATION
• Providence (15-6) at No. 9 seed/#10 North Carolina (13-3-3)
• Start Time: 7 p.m.
• Gates Open: 6 p.m.
• Tickets: $10-Adult; $5-Child/Senior; $3-Group Tickets; FREE-UNC Students
• TV/Live Stream: ESPN3/WatchESPN
BROADCAST
The match will be carried live on ESPN3 beginning at 7 p.m. It will also be streamed live on WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
NCAA NOTES
• Carolina is making its 24th NCAA postseason appearance in 2016, and the 17th time in the last 18 seasons.
• The Tar Heels have hosted one postseason match at Fetzer Field every season since 2000.
• UNC is a top-16 national seed for the seventh time in the last nine seasons.
• Carolina, 36-19-7 in NCAA Championship history, has won the national title in 2001 and 2011, appeared in six College Cups - including four straight from 2008-11 - and made 10 trips to the NCAA Quarterfinals, most recently in 2014.
• UNC has surrendered one goal or less in 12 of their last 14 NCAA matches going back to the 2011 national title victory over Charlotte.
MOST ELITE 8 APPEARANCES SINCE 2008
Carolina returns to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the 7th time in the last nine seasons, the most appearances in that time frame since 2008.
7 - North Carolina
6 - Maryland
5 - Creighton
4 - Louisville, UCLA, Wake Forest
3 - Akron, UCONN, Virginia
SERIES HISTORY
The two clubs previously met once in the 2005 NCAA Championship second round, a 2-0 victory by the Tar Heels at Fetzer Field.
SOMOANO OWNS TOP WIN PERCENTAGE
• Carlos Somoano owns the best winning percentage (.758) among active Division I men's soccer coaches with at least five years experience.
• Somoano is also the UNC program leader in winning percentage.
• He has guided all six of his teams to the NCAA Championship, winning the 2011 title.
NCAA LEADERS
Carolina leads the nation in shutout percentage (0.63), and ranks 3rd in team goals against average (0.50) and fewest fouls (8.3) per game. On the offensive side, UNC is 10th in scoring (1.95) and third with 48 assists.
SCORING LEADERS
Tucker Hume leads Carolina with 18 points with seven goals and four assists. Nils Bruening is second behind a team-leading eight goals and 17 total points, while Zach Wright also has 17 points with five goals and seven assists, and leads UNC with four game winners.
Julian Gressel leads Providence and the BIG EAST in scoring with 36 points and 15 goals. Danny Griffin is second on the club with seven goals and 15 total points.
