Carolina's Offense Explodes To Down Harvard, 6-0

Friday, September 6

Chapel Hill

7:30 p.m.

North Carolina

1-1-1

Harvard

0-1-0

Harvard

UNC

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

September 6, 2019 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Matt Largen

Chapel Hill - The No. 20 North Carolina Tar Heels took down the Harvard Crimson 6-0 on Friday night at the UNC Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium. The dominating offensive performance was highlighted in the shot differential between the two teams as the Heels out shot the Crimson 35-4 in the match and improved to 1-1-1 for the season. Jack Skahan led the way offensively with two goals while Alex Rose recorded a goal and two assists on the night. Sophomore Antonio Lopez and freshman Cameron Fisher recorded their first collegiate goals while Santiago Herrera scored his first goal in Carolina blue after transferring from UCLA.

The Tar Heels opened the first half in style with a goal from Rose in the fifty-third second. Rose's third goal of the 2019 campaign was beautifully set up by senior Jelani Pieters, who crossed the ball from the left side of the box, which allowed Rose to knock home a header to the far post for the 1-0 lead.

Ten minutes later, senior Jack Skahan doubled the Tar Heels lead. It was only a matter of time for the senior from Memphis, Tenn, after near misses in the previous contest against the University of Central Florida Knights. Skahan challenged the Crimson defenders who gave the senior too much space as he ripped a 20-yard strike from the right side of the field that found the left half side of the net.

The Tar Heels pestered the Crimson's freshman goalkeeper, Bobby Harraka, with 18 shots in the first half. However, Harraka maintained his poise and recorded five difficult saves on goal, which saw the Tar Heels enter the halftime break with a 2-0 lead.

Rejuvenated from the break, the Tar Heels once again struck quickly at the beginning of the second half. This time, in the 53rd minute of the contest, junior Santiago Herrara found the back of the net off a beautiful assist from sophomore Antonio Lopez. Lopez received the ball from Mauricio Pineda at the top of the box and faked out several Crimson defenders and back-heeled the ball to a wide open Herrera who blasted the ball home.

Lopez would go on to score his first collegiate goal in the 67th minute. The goal was set up by junior Lucas del Rosario, who crossed the ball into the box from 40 yards out before Lopez beat the last defender and tapped it past the keeper. The 4-0 lead for the Tar Heels would only grow in the minutes to follow.

Rose, who is the leading scorer for the Tar Heels in 2019, played the role of the facilitator in the 75th and 82nd minutes. The first of Rose's two assists helped Skahan record his second goal of the night. The second assist allowed freshman Cameron Fisher to find the back of the net for his first collegiate goal. Fisher, who was hungry for his first goal, received the ball from Rose and turned on the defender to beat the keeper. Fisher's goal would seal the deal for the Tar Heels', as they cruised in the remaining eight minutes for a 6-0 victory.

Juxtaposed to the Tar Heels' dominant offensive showing, a tip of the hat is much deserved for the Crimson's keeper, Harraka. Tasked to keep a hard-charging Tar Heels squad at bay, Harraka sacrificed his body and made play-after-play that prevented any further Carolina goals. Subbed off in the 81st minute, Harraka received an ovation from the North Carolina faithful as he exited the pitch.

The Tar Heels will be back in action on Monday, Sept. 9 at 7:00 p.m. when they travel to Greensboro, NC, to take on the UNC Greensboro Spartans.