University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Visits Syracuse In Top-5 Matchup
September 28, 2016 | Men's Soccer
BROADCAST
This top-5 ACC match will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra and the WatchESPN app.
CAROLINA 6TH IN NCAA RPI
Carolina is No. 6 in the first RPI released by the NCAA on Sept. 26. The Tar Heels' schedule is made up of seven teams ranked in the top-30: Notre Dame (1), Clemson (3), Syracuse (5), UNCW (8), Boston College (11), Virginia Tech (14) and William & Mary (30).
BRUENING BUSTS OUT
Nils Bruening was named the ACC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday. Bruening scored four goals, one shy of the school record and the most by a North Carolina men's soccer player in 14 years, in a 5-0 shutout of No. 16 Boston College on Friday night to keep the Tar Heels a perfect 3-0 in ACC play. The sophomore forward from Hamburg, Germany, came off the bench for the first time all season, and scored his four goals in a mere 41 minutes of action.
NCAA LEADERS
Carolina leads the nation in points per game (8.1) and assists per game (3.1). The Tar Heels are second in total assists (25) and fifth in scoring offense with 2.5 goals per game.
SCORING LEADERS
Zach Wright leads Carolina with 11 points on three goals and is tied with freshman Cam Lindley with a team-leading five assists. Nils Bruening jumps to second on the team with 10 points and five goals, while Tucker Hume has nine points with four goals and one assist.
Johannes Pieles and Chris Nanco lead Syracuse with nine points. Pieles has three goals and three assists, while Nanco has four goals and one assist.
SERIES HISTORY
Carolina is unbeaten in three previous meetings with Syracuse, enjoying a 2-0-1 edge in the series that began in 2013.
LAST MEETING(S)
Syracuse advanced 4-3 in penalty kicks over North Carolina in the quarterfinals of the 2015 ACC men's soccer championship. In the 2015 regular season, Alex Olofson scored the game winner in a 2-1 victory in Chapel Hill last October 10 at Fetzer Field.
NEXT UP
Carolina hosts nationally-ranked UNCW at 7 p.m on Cancer Awareness Night. The first 500 fans wearing pink receives a free Carolina men's soccer t-shirt, while 250 will also receive pink pom-pons. Additionally, 250 students will get free UNC rally towels.
