Pieters Header Lifts No. 3 UNC Over ETSU, 1-0

Friday, August 24

Greensboro, NC (Bryan Park)

7:30 p.m.

North Carolina

1-0-0

ETSU

0-1-0

ETSU

North Carolina

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

August 24, 2018 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score Season Stats Play By Play

By: T.J. Scholl

Greensboro, N.C. – Jelani Pieters game-winning header in the 79^th minute lifted the No. 3 North Carolina past ETSU Friday night at Bryan Stadium as the Tar Heels kicked off the 2018 campaign with a win. The Tar Heels outshot the Buccaneers 10-7 as James Pyle kept the shutout in goal for the Heels with two saves.

Neither side could find the back of the net in the first 45 minutes, but it wasn't due to a lack of early chances for the Tar Heels. In the ninth minute, Jelani Pieters found the ball at his feet just inches away from the near post, but both of his shots were shut down by the ETSU keeper to keep the score even. Those were the only two shots on goal for either side for the remainder of the half as the Heels went in to halftime with a 5-1 advantage in shots.

Both sides had great chances to take the lead in the first 15 minutes of second half, but once again, neither could break the tie. In the 53^rd minute off a set piece, ETSU got behind the Tar Heel defense but keeper James Pyle was in the perfect position to save the point-blank header.

In the 60^th minute the Tar Heels looked destined to take the lead after Mauricio Pineda chiseled through the Buccaneer defense with some brilliant footwork. After juking out the keeper one-on-one, he tried to slide it to the back of the net but an ETSU defender cleared the ball off the line to keep the game scoreless.

The Tar Heels finally found the back of the net in the 79^th minute with a perfectly placed header to the back post from Pieters for the 1-0 lead. Mauricio Pineda gathered the ball at the far side of the box and played a perfectly weighed ball to the head of Pieters who beat the out stretched keeper and banked the ball in off the post for the Tar Heels first goal of the season.

ETSU pressured the Tar Heels down the stretch, but Pyle and the stingy Carolina defense preserved the shutout to start the year with a win.

The Tar Heels will be back on the field for the final game of the Carolina Nike Classic on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. against No. 2 Indiana at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.