University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 5 Tar Heels Host Pitt To Open ACC Play
September 6, 2018 | Men's Soccer
Tar Heels Open ACC Play Against Pitt
• No. 5 North Carolina will open ACC play this Saturday, Sept. 8, against Pitt at 7 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C.
• Carolina is 5-0 all-time against Pitt including 2-0 in ACC openers ( 2014 & 2017).
• The Tar Heels have outscored the Panthers 15-1 over the five-game history, conceding the only goal last year in a 2-1 win.
• UNC has not lost an ACC opener since 2011 (Carlos Somoano's first season), where they lost to Virginia Tech 1-0 in double OT. The Tar Heels went on to win the national championship that year.
• The last time the Tar Heels didn't open the ACC with a win was in 2013 with a 1-1 tie against Notre Dame.
Suffocating Defense
• In its last three games, the Tar Heel defense has not allowed their opponents to register more than three total shots or more than two shots on goal.
• Against No. 2 Indiana, the Tar Heels held the Hoosiers to 3 total shots, the least amount in any game for Indiana in 2004.
• Carolina followed up that performance by only allowing three shots with one on goal against William & Mary in the third game of the season.
• Against Jacksonville on Monday, Carolina held the Dolphins to 2 total shots and no shots on goal.
• Carolina hasn't given up a first half goal all season.
Familiar Field....For Once
• Over the first four games of the 2018 regular season, the Tar Heels have played three home matches and one on the road, but all four games have been played in different stadiums.
• Besides playing at William & Mary, the Tar Heels have played home matches in Greensboro, Cary and Durham. The home match against Pitt on Saturday, Sept. 8, will be the first time the Tar Heels will play more than one game on the same field all season.
• Over the course of the 2018 season, UNC will play in 10 different stadiums.
Carolina Offense Explodes For Six Goals
• No. 12 North Carolina put on an offensive clinic Friday night in Williamsburg, Va., taking down William & Mary 6-1.
• Carolina scored three goals in the first 31 minutes thanks to a brace from Niels Bruening and a craft finish from Mauricio Pineda. Gio Montesdeoca also recorded a brace and picked up an assist on the sixth and final goal from Alex Rose.
• 6 goals ties the most the Tar Heels have scored in a single game in the last two seasons as Carolina scored six goals twice during the 2017 campaign.
• This is the first time two players recorded a brace in the same game since Oct. 3 2017 when Cam Lindley and Gio Montesdeoca both scored two goals in a 6-0 win over James Madison.
First Half Dominance
• The Tar Heels have outshot their opponents 25-4 in the first half so far this season.
• Overall, the Heels have outshot opponents 48-15.
Scoring First And 2nd Goal Key For Heels
• Since the start of the 2017 season, the Tar Heels are 18-0 when scoring more than one goal.
• During that time, the Heels are also 18-0 when scoring first.
Decade of Dominance
• Over the last 10 seasons (2008-2017), UNC leads all other programs in the following:
- NCAA Championship wins: 23
- Sweet 16 Appearances: 9
- Elite 8 Appearances: 8
- Men's College Cup Appearances: 6
