Pineda's Brace Leads No. 18 North Carolina Past West Virginia, 3-1

Tuesday, October 8

Chapel Hill

7 p.m.

North Carolina

7-2-2

West Virginia

6-4-1

WVU

UNC

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

Pineda's Brace Leads No. 18 North Carolina Past West Virginia, 3-1

October 8, 2019 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score Overall Stats

By: Matt Largen

CHAPEL HILL - No. 18 North Carolina topped a talented West Virginia team, 3-1, on Tuesday evening at Dorrance Field at the UNC Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium to improve to 7-2-2 on the season. The Tar Heels were led by a brace from senior captain Mauricio Pineda as well as a goal from Jonathan Jimenez, good for the freshman's first collegiate goal.

Poised to strike early against the Mountaineers, Carolina got off to a roaring start in the first half. Jack Skahan's and Jelani Pieters' near misses in the 5th minute of the match set the tone for the team's offensive agenda as the Heels out shot the Mountaineers 6-0 in the first 15 minutes of the game. That offensive firepower was bolstered by sophomore Milo Garvanian and Jimenez when they checked into the game in the 23rd minute.

In his sixth appearance of the 2019 campaign, Garvanian stepped up to take a corner in the 28th minute. The cross bounced through the box and ultimately found Pineda at the back post. Pineda juked past the West Virginia defender on the left side of the box and ripped a shot to the upper left corner to beat the keeper near post for his fourth goal of the season.

Just 39 seconds later, Pieters bolted down the left side of the pitch and only had a lone Mountaineer to beat. As the opportunity for Pieters closed, he curled the ball back and found Pineda. Much like he had done in the minute prior, Pineda roared back and blasted another shot towards the goal. The ball ricocheted off a defender's leg and found the opposite end of the net for a team-leading fifth goal of the season. Pineda's multi-goal performance was his first since October 11, 2016, in which he scored three goals against UNC Asheville during his freshman season.

The Mountaineers quickly cut the Tar Heel lead in half after striking in the 36th minute to make it 2-1. West Virginia's Luke McCormick found Pau Jimenez Albelda on at the back post for his first goal of the season. As the teams entered the halftime break, Carolina held the edge in shots 16-4.

A change of pace, the second half of the contest saw both teams slow down their offensive attacks. In total, both teams combined for seven shots in the second half, a stark contrast from the first 45 minutes of play where the teams recorded 20 total. The Tar Heels came alive in the 72nd minute as Jimenez recorded his first collegiate goal off an assist from Jeremy Kelly to give Carolina a 3-1 lead. A display of great poise, Jimenez ran on to a perfect through ball from Kelly to go one on one with the keeper. As the keeper came out to meet Jimenez, he stopped, sized up the keeper and flicked the ball over the goalie to the far back post as the keeper could only get a finger on it before it rolled in to the net.

The Tar Heels charged on to victory and improved to 7-2-2 for the season, including three-straight wins, as they out shot the Mountaineers 20-7 and only conceded two shots on goal. The team will be back in action on Saturday, October 12 in an ACC showdown against the Syracuse Orange in Chapel Hill at 1 p.m.