University of North Carolina Athletics
GoHeels Exclusive: The Process
August 24, 2018 | Men's Soccer, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
When Jelani Pieters joined the North Carolina men's soccer team three years ago, he realized early on what role immediately awaited him.
The Tar Heels boasted 14 upperclassmen in 2015. They also returned five players who redshirted as freshmen the year before. So as one of 12 players in the team's 2015 recruiting class, Pieters assumed that he'd likely redshirt.Â
His inkling proved correct.
Many student-athletes dread the idea of redshirting, of finally achieving their dream of continuing their athletic career in college, only to spend their first year watching from the sideline. But Pieters embraced the situation. And subsequently, he grew from it.
"That was probably the most important time of my soccer career thus far," he said, "because I think that's when I improved the most in that certain amount of time as a player, just learning from seniors like Jonathan Campbell, Jordan McCrary, guys like that. It was really instrumental to the player I am today."
That player, who finished second on the team in points (25) last season, helped lead UNC to its second straight College Cup appearance last season. The Tar Heels figure to contend for a national title again in 2018. And if they do, the ever-improving Pieters will likely be a key reason why.Â
Pieters, from Oswego, Ill., started playing soccer when he was 2. But one might've guessed then that basketball would eventually become the sport that he'd commit to.
Pieters' father, Denville, played basketball for the Guyanese national team. His mother, Angela, also played the sport at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Pieters ultimately picked up on basketball, as well. Yet when it came time for him to choose between it and soccer, he said he made "the obvious choice."
"They supported me the whole way through," said Pieters of his parents. "Now I'd say they watch more soccer than basketball at this point. So it wasn't difficult (choosing soccer) at all."
Around 10 or 11 years old, Pieters said he realized that he could potentially play college soccer. It wasn't until his senior year of high school, though, that Carolina came calling.
Pieters said multiple other schools showed interest before then. Among them was Saint Louis University, where former UNC assistant coach Jason O'Keefe held the same position before joining the Tar Heels in 2014. O'Keefe convinced Pieters to visit Carolina. A week after he finally did, Pieters committed.
College Soccer News listed Pieters as the No. 148 player in its Class of 2015 rankings. But upon arriving at UNC, he said he faced a trying transition.
"Everybody here was really, really good, and I was honestly probably one of the worst players on the team," Pieters said. "But I took it upon myself to try to adapt and improve as a player and learn from the older guys, just keep working every day and try to make myself that much better."
As he redshirted, Pieters played against the Tar Heels' starters during practices. He felt obligated to push them and help them improve. In the process, he got better, too.
He maintained that mindset during his redshirt freshman season in 2016, when he appeared in 18 matches as a reserve forward. And because of it, he found instant success upon entering the starting lineup last season.
Pieters tallied three goals in Carolina's first two games. He finished the season with nine, the second most on the team. Of those goals, four proved to be game-winners, including his overtime score against Virginia that snapped the Cavaliers' 21-match home unbeaten streak.
"If you would've stuck anyone on our team in the spot that I was in, they would've done the same thing," said Pieters of his penchant for game-winners. "So it's just a huge team effort, I guess. If you look at most of my goals, they came off set pieces or crosses from my teammates, who did a lot of the hard work."
Pieters also deserves credit for his diligence. But despite his success last season, he's still attempting to expand his game. Most importantly, he's learning how to guide UNC's front line after the departures of stalwarts Alan Winn and Zach Wright.
"I was kind of following their footsteps (last season)," Pieters said. "But this year, I think the biggest thing that I've talked with the coaches about is being more of a leader on the field, a verbal leader and leading by example. So I think that's the next step in the process."
Strong leadership will be crucial again this season, the second straight that the Tar Heels won't play their home matches in Chapel Hill. A new on-campus stadium remains under construction.
No. 3 Carolina opens the season against East Tennessee State University on Friday at Bryan Park in Greensboro. On Sunday, UNC faces No. 2 Indiana at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, where the Tar Heels will host four other games. They'll also play three "home" games at Duke's Koskinen Stadium.
Some people might view this as adversity. But as Carolina showed last season – and Pieters has demonstrated throughout his college career – the team will embrace it.
"We're going to go out and give our best against any opponent on any given day; that's the mentality that we've had," Pieters said. "I don't know if there are any teams that you've seen go to the final four without a home field. So I think we really don't care about circumstances. We're just going to go out there and give it our all."
