No. 18 Heels Top No. 8 Hokies, 3-1, In Blacksburg To Start ACC Play

Friday, September 13

Blacksburg, Va.

7 p.m.

North Carolina

#8 Virginia Tech

No. 18 Heels Top No. 8 Hokies, 3-1, In Blacksburg To Start ACC Play

September 13, 2019 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Season Stats Box Score

By: T.J. Scholl

Blacksburg, Va. – No. 18 North Carolina traveled to Blacksburg and topped No. 8 Virginia Tech, 3-1, in its ACC opener to improve to 3-1-1 on the season and 2-0 on the road in 2019. Jelani Pieters powered the Tar Heel offense with a goal and an assist to help the Heels to its third consecutive win and seventh consecutive win over the Hokies.

The Heels and the Hokies spent the first 15 minutes of the game locked in a midfield battle as neither side looked could find a decent look on goal. Jeremy Kelly fired the first dangerous shot of the night in the 17^th minute as he beat his defender in the box, but his shot was off target as he tried to go near post on the goalkeeper.

The Hokies then found its offense in the 23^rd minute as they took the 1-0 lead on a goal from Kristo Strickler. After a long Virginia Tech throw in, the Hokies flicked the ball towards the back post where Strickler was standing and he headed the ball in to the back post for the lead.

Virginia Tech almost doubled the lead in the 25^th minute off a Carolina turnover, but the Hokie shot from inside the box just missed the outside post as it rolled out of bounds for a goal kick.

That seemed to spark the Tar Heel offense as Jelani Pieters tied the game in the 27^th minute of an assist from Jack Skahan. After beating his man down the far sideline, Skahan crossed the ball through the box to Pieters who beat his defender and tucked the ball in the back of the net.

Just five short minutes later, the Tar Heels took the lead thanks to Mauricio Pineda. Jeremy Kelly played the ball in the box to Pineda who perfectly turned his defender to his back hip and slotted the ball to the far post for the 2-1 lead.

After the break, Carolina doubled its lead in the 64^th minute thanks to a Martin Salas goal as the Heels went up 3-1. Pieters beat his man down the far sideline and crossed the ball through the box to a wide-open Salas who tapped it in to the back of the net.

The Hokies had multiple good looks on goal late in the second half but the Tar Heel defense held strong as they shut out the Hokies in the second half to improve to 3-1-1 on the season and 1-0 in the ACC.