Heels Clinch 4th Straight ACC Coastal Division, Beat Duke 1-0

Tuesday, October 23

Durham, NC

7 p.m.

North Carolina

12-2-1, 6-1-0

Duke

9-5-1, 4-3-0

North Carolina

Duke

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

October 23, 2018 | Men's Soccer

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By: T.J. Scholl

Durham, N.C. – Jack Skahan's sixth goal of the season in the 56^th minute was the difference in Carolina's 1-0 win over Duke on Friday night, helping the Tar Heels clinch the ACC Coastal Division title for the fourth straight season. The Tar Heel defense secured their third straight shutout Tuesday night as Skahan scored his fifth goal in three games. Over those three games, Skahan has scored or assisted on six of the seven Tar Heel goals.

Although both sides came out looking to score early, the first half settled into a midfield battle for the majority of the first 45 minutes. Duke had one early shot on goal in the 10th minute, but neither side got another shot on goal until the 37^th minute when Jelani Pieters finally broke through with the first shot of the night for the Heels.

UNC's offense took a little while to get going in the attacking third, but over the last nine minutes of the first half they fired off four shots, with two on goal, to take the 4-2 advantage in shots heading into the break.

The Tar Heels started the second half right where they left off after the first 45 minutes as Skahan put the Heels on top, 1-0, in the 56^th minute. Jeremy Kelly sent a long ball to Skahan who collided with a Duke defender. After the ball bounced in the air, Skahan was the first to find it and chipped it over the charging keeper, Will Pulisic, to score the night's lone goal. That goal marked the junior forward's fifth goal in the last three games.

Gio Montesdeoca almost added a second goal for the Heels a minute later after he juked his way open at the top of the box, but a diving save from Pulisic kept the score at 1-0. Nils Bruening also looked like he had doubled the lead in the 63^rd minute as his header beat the keeper, but it clanked off the crossbar and out of bounds to keep the lead at one.

Skahan looked like he was about to add to his total on the night in the 80^th minute after a perfect through ball from Montesdeoca, but a great individual effort from a Blue Devil defender stopped the one-on-one chance. His first goal ended up being enough, however, leading the Heels to their sixth conference win of the year.

The victory marks Carolina's third straight shutout, the ninth overall on the season.

The Heels will be in action next against Virginia on Friday in Cary at WakeMed Soccer Park. Kick for the last regular season clash of the year is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.