No. 12 Tar Heels Explode for 6-1 Win At William & Mary

Friday, August 31

Williamsburg, VA

7 p.m.

North Carolina

William & Mary

August 31, 2018 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score Season Stats

By: T.J. Scholl

Williamsburg, Va. – No. 12 North Carolina answered any questions it had about its offensive output to start the season by scoring three goals in the first 32 minutes Friday night en route to a 6-1 win over William & Mary. Nils Bruening and Gio Montesdeoca both recorded a brace on the night while Mauricio Pineda and Alex Rose also added to the tally as all four players scored their first goals of the 2018 season. The Tar Heels finished with a 15-3 advantage in total shots and a 9-1 advantage in shots on goal over the Tribe.

The Tar Heels didn't waste any time getting on the board Friday night in Williamsburg as they took a 1-0 lead only 15 minutes in to the match. After a slow start the game from both sides, the Tar Heels forced a turnover in the William & Mary attacking third that fell to the feet of Mauricio Pineda at the top of the box. The midfielder knew exactly what to do with it as he danced his way through the box and slotted the ball right past the keeper to put the Heels up, 1-0.

Carolina doubled the lead just six minutes later thanks to a perfectly placed free kick from Jack Skahan to forward Nils Bruening. After the Heels drew a foul right outside the box, Skahan stepped over the ball and whipped it in for the lanky Bruening who perfectly placed the header inside the right post for the 2-0 lead.

Bruening wasn't done yet as he doubled his goal total on the season in the 32^nd minute with an absolute rocket off a corner kick to put the Heels ahead 3-0. After the Tar Heels earned their second corner of the night, William & Mary couldn't clear the ball as it bounced around the box before Pineda passed it to Bruening who blasted the ball to the upper 90 where the keeper stood no chance to keep it out of the net.

The Tar Heels added to their lead in the 59^th minute with a goal from Gio Montesdeoca, his first of the season, after a perfectly played through ball from Jeremy Kelly to get the play started. Kelly volleyed the through ball to Montesdeoca who found himself on a breakaway and finished the ball on a tight angle to put Carolina ahead 4-0.

After the Tribe scored its only goal of the night, the Tar Heels responded with two of their own in a 15 second span to put the game out of reach at 6-1. Montesdeoca recorded his second goal of the season, and night, in the 81^st minute after a turnover and then assisted on the Rose goal just 15 seconds later to put the Heels up by five to close out the game.

The Tar Heels are back in action on Monday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. at they take on Jacksonville at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C.