University of North Carolina Athletics
Friday, March 5
Chapel Hill
7 PM
North Carolina
vs
Pittsburgh
Joe Pickering
Photo by: Dana Gentry
Men's Soccer Ready For Pitt Friday
March 4, 2021 | Men's Soccer
Matchup: North Carolina (3-3-2) vs. No. 4 Pittsburgh (8-0-1, 4-0-0 ACC)
Date: Friday March 5, 2021
Site: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Dorrance Field)
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: ACC Network Extra
• North Carolina will continue the spring portion of its 2020-21 season when it hosts fourth-ranked Pittsburgh on Friday night at Dorrance Field.
• Opening kick is scheduled for just after 7 p.m. ACC Network Extra will stream the game live.
• ACCNX is a streaming-only viewing option available via the ESPN app that broadcasts sporting events not available on ESPN's linear television networks. ACCNX access is included if your cable, satellite or streaming service provider carries ACC Network. Fans will need to use their account with their cable, satellite or streaming provider to log in at the WatchESPN website or download the ESPN app for their mobile or streaming device.
• Pitt will be playing its second spring game and is coming off a 1-0 win over Duquesne last Saturday. The Panthers went 7-1 in the Fall, including 4-0 in the ACC, and reached the ACC Tournament final before losing, 2-1, to Clemson in the title match.
• UNC is in the midst of opening its spring campaign with three consecutive home games, concluding next Saturday March 13 against Virginia. Carolina will play three of its final four Spring matches on the road, with Senior Night coming in Chapel Hill vs. Virginia Tech on April 2.
Carolina Starts Spring With Close Loss to Liberty
• Noah Holmes scored in the 52nd minute to lift Liberty to a 1-0 men's soccer win over North Carolina on Feb. 25 at Dorrance Field.
• After a scoreless first half, Liberty took the lead early in the second stanza. Marko Mitrevski assisted on the game-winner, feeding Holmes from the right side into the box for the goal.
MLS Drafts Three Tar Heels
• MLS teams selected three Carolina players in the 2021 Major League Soccer Superdraft, held on Jan. 22.
• Defender Matt Constant went as the No. 23 pick in the second round (No. 50 overall) to Sporting KC. Defender Mark Salas went 22nd in the third round (No. 76 overall) to FC Dallas, and forward Giovanni Montesdeoca later joined him with FC Dallas as the 25th pick in the third-round pick (No. 79 overall).
• Generation adidas players and others who sign contracts have joined their MLS clubs for the 2021 preseason. Draftees who do not sign contracts may compete for their college team during the Spring 2021 semester before reporting to their MLS clubs in late May.
• Highlighted by a dozen first-round selections, 25 ACC men's soccer players were selected in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft. The 25 selections are by far the most ACC picks in the SuperDraft, besting the previous record of 18, set twice previously. In all, players from 11 ACC programs represented exactly one-third of the 75 total draft picks.
• The ACC's total of 12 first-round selections stands as the most ever from one conference in the MLS SuperDraft, topping the ACC's previous record of eight, set in 2016, 2018 and 2020. The ACC's total this year was quadruple that of any other conference.
Tar Heels Blank Duke, 2-0
• Carolina scored two second-half goals and shutout Duke, 2-0, on Nov. 6 in Chapel Hill.
• Giovanni Montesdeoca and Taff Wadda both scored goals after halftime as Carolina blanked the Blue Devils by a 2-0 score for a second time this season. UNC started the season a month earlier with a 2-0 win at Duke.
• UNC has won seven of the last eight meetings with Duke and is 14-2-2 in the last 18 meetings in the series.
UNC And NCSU Tie, 0-0
• Fifth-ranked North Carolina and North Carolina State clawed and fought for 110 minutes at Dorrance Field on Nov. 1, but neither team was able to score in a defensive struggle that ended in a 0-0 tie in two overtimes.
• The Tar Heels (2-1-2, 2-1-2 ACC) had a handful of good scoring opportunities, particularly in the first overtime period when Jonathan Jimenez and Joe Pickering both had shots that hit the NCSU (0-5-1, 0-4-1) goalpost. Neither found the back of the net, however, and the game ended in a scoreless tie.
• UNC's defense stymied NCSU's attack for much of the afternoon, limiting solid looks at the goal by attackers.
Tar Heels Come Back to Tie Clemson, 3-3
• Santiago Herrera scored a late goal as fifth-ranked North Carolina overcame a 2-0, second-half deficit and fought third-ranked Clemson to a 3-3 tie in two overtimes on Oct. 27 in Clemson, S.C.
• Herrera, Key White and Lucas del Rosario scored goals for the Tar Heels. Giovanni Montesdeoca, Milo Garvanian and Matt Constant had assists.
• The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first 14 minutes of the second half after a scoreless first 45 minutes and seemed to be in control, only to see Carolina tie the game at 2-2 not long thereafter.
• After Clemson quickly scored again to go ahead, 3-2, Herrera scored in the 88th minute to make it 3-3. Neither team scored in the two overtime periods.
• Alec Smir made five saves in goal for the Tar Heels.
Top-Ranked Wake Forest Edges No. 3 UNC, 1-0
• Kyle Holcomb scored in overtime to lift No. 1 Wake Forest to a 1-0 win over No. 3 North Carolina in men's soccer action at Spry Stadium on Oct. 18.
• On the winning play, Omar Hernandez sent a long cross into the box from 25 yards away on the left side. Holcomb beat UNC goalkeeper Alec Smir to the ball by a split second and put it in the net for the Demon Deacon victory.
• It was the first goal allowed by Carolina in the 2020 season.
Filippo Zattarin Earns National & ACC Honors
• Graduate transfer defender Filippo Zattarin has quickly made his stamp on the Tar Heels this fall, evidenced by his game-winning goal in Carolina's 1-0 win over #3 Clemson on Oct. 9.
• Zattarin scored the game-winning goal on a header with 0:01 remaining in regulation to lift North Carolina to a 1-0 win over No. 3 Clemson on Oct. 9 in Chapel Hill. A graduate transfer from Saint Mary's (Calif.), Zattarin also helped lead a Tar Heel defense that held the Tigers scoreless with just two shots on goal.
• Zattarin was named the co-ACC Player of the Week and the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week on Nov. 12.
Smir Earns ACC & National Weekly Honors
• Junior goalkeeper Alec Smir earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 5 after his strong performance at Duke.
• A day later, the United Soccer Coaches oaches named Smir the organization's national Player of the Week.
• Smir helped UNC open its season on a high note on Friday with a 2-0 win at Duke. The Greensboro native recorded his 10th career shutout and his eighth in his last 19 games started. Smir saved all three Duke shots on goal in 90 minutes played. He also controlled the action from the back throughout the night, directing the Tar Heel defense and intercepting multiple crossing passes to lead the UNC to the road win.
• Smir started all 18 games for the Tar Heels in 2019, ranking fourth in the ACC in goals against per game (1.06) and tying for seventh in the ACC in shutouts (five).
Shutout Win At Duke, 2-0
• Carolina wasted no time in striking early and got strong play in goal from junior Alec Smir as the Tar Heels beat Duke, 2-0, on Oct. 2 in Durham, N.C.
• UNC recorded four shots on goal on the night, two of which found the back of the net. Both of the goals came on set plays. Matt Constant scored on a header off a free kick in the first half from Milo Garvanian, and Santiago Herrera scored on a free kick in the second half. Duke out-shot Carolina on the night overall, 9-6, but the Tar Heels had four on-goal to Duke's three.
• Smir posted a strong effort, saving all three of Duke's shots on goal, including a punch save on a short range shot in the second half to preserve a 1-0 lead. Smir posted five shutouts in 2019 to tie for seventh in the ACC, and he posted another shutout in his first effort of 2020.
Carlos Somoano
• Tenth-year UNC head coach Carlos Somoano entered the 2020 season ranked second in the nation in winning percentage among active Division I head coaches.
• Somoano has a 131-40-28 career record, good for a program-best .729 winning percentage.
• Somoano reached the summit of collegiate soccer when he led the Tar Heels to the 2011 NCAA title, becoming just the second rookie head coach in NCAA history to win a national championship. He returned to the College Cup with his Tar Heel squad in 2016 and 2017, marking the third appearance in the sports ultimate destination under his leadership.
• Somoano has guided eight of his nine squads to NCAA postseason play and five of those teams reached at least the NCAA quarterfinals.
Dorrance Field
• Carolina boasts one of the finest soccer and lacrosse facilities in the nation. Carolina opened its new, on-campus Lacrosse & Soccer Stadium on March 2, 2019, by hosting a men's and women's lacrosse doubleheader. The stadium was dedicated as Dorrance Field in honor of longtime women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance in September 2019.
• It is built on the site of the old Fetzer Field, which housed six sports on campus from 1935 through 2017. The facility is home to UNC's men's and women's soccer and lacrosse teams.
Date: Friday March 5, 2021
Site: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Dorrance Field)
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: ACC Network Extra
• North Carolina will continue the spring portion of its 2020-21 season when it hosts fourth-ranked Pittsburgh on Friday night at Dorrance Field.
• Opening kick is scheduled for just after 7 p.m. ACC Network Extra will stream the game live.
• ACCNX is a streaming-only viewing option available via the ESPN app that broadcasts sporting events not available on ESPN's linear television networks. ACCNX access is included if your cable, satellite or streaming service provider carries ACC Network. Fans will need to use their account with their cable, satellite or streaming provider to log in at the WatchESPN website or download the ESPN app for their mobile or streaming device.
• Pitt will be playing its second spring game and is coming off a 1-0 win over Duquesne last Saturday. The Panthers went 7-1 in the Fall, including 4-0 in the ACC, and reached the ACC Tournament final before losing, 2-1, to Clemson in the title match.
• UNC is in the midst of opening its spring campaign with three consecutive home games, concluding next Saturday March 13 against Virginia. Carolina will play three of its final four Spring matches on the road, with Senior Night coming in Chapel Hill vs. Virginia Tech on April 2.
Carolina Starts Spring With Close Loss to Liberty
• Noah Holmes scored in the 52nd minute to lift Liberty to a 1-0 men's soccer win over North Carolina on Feb. 25 at Dorrance Field.
• After a scoreless first half, Liberty took the lead early in the second stanza. Marko Mitrevski assisted on the game-winner, feeding Holmes from the right side into the box for the goal.
MLS Drafts Three Tar Heels
• MLS teams selected three Carolina players in the 2021 Major League Soccer Superdraft, held on Jan. 22.
• Defender Matt Constant went as the No. 23 pick in the second round (No. 50 overall) to Sporting KC. Defender Mark Salas went 22nd in the third round (No. 76 overall) to FC Dallas, and forward Giovanni Montesdeoca later joined him with FC Dallas as the 25th pick in the third-round pick (No. 79 overall).
• Generation adidas players and others who sign contracts have joined their MLS clubs for the 2021 preseason. Draftees who do not sign contracts may compete for their college team during the Spring 2021 semester before reporting to their MLS clubs in late May.
• Highlighted by a dozen first-round selections, 25 ACC men's soccer players were selected in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft. The 25 selections are by far the most ACC picks in the SuperDraft, besting the previous record of 18, set twice previously. In all, players from 11 ACC programs represented exactly one-third of the 75 total draft picks.
• The ACC's total of 12 first-round selections stands as the most ever from one conference in the MLS SuperDraft, topping the ACC's previous record of eight, set in 2016, 2018 and 2020. The ACC's total this year was quadruple that of any other conference.
Tar Heels Blank Duke, 2-0
• Carolina scored two second-half goals and shutout Duke, 2-0, on Nov. 6 in Chapel Hill.
• Giovanni Montesdeoca and Taff Wadda both scored goals after halftime as Carolina blanked the Blue Devils by a 2-0 score for a second time this season. UNC started the season a month earlier with a 2-0 win at Duke.
• UNC has won seven of the last eight meetings with Duke and is 14-2-2 in the last 18 meetings in the series.
UNC And NCSU Tie, 0-0
• Fifth-ranked North Carolina and North Carolina State clawed and fought for 110 minutes at Dorrance Field on Nov. 1, but neither team was able to score in a defensive struggle that ended in a 0-0 tie in two overtimes.
• The Tar Heels (2-1-2, 2-1-2 ACC) had a handful of good scoring opportunities, particularly in the first overtime period when Jonathan Jimenez and Joe Pickering both had shots that hit the NCSU (0-5-1, 0-4-1) goalpost. Neither found the back of the net, however, and the game ended in a scoreless tie.
• UNC's defense stymied NCSU's attack for much of the afternoon, limiting solid looks at the goal by attackers.
Tar Heels Come Back to Tie Clemson, 3-3
• Santiago Herrera scored a late goal as fifth-ranked North Carolina overcame a 2-0, second-half deficit and fought third-ranked Clemson to a 3-3 tie in two overtimes on Oct. 27 in Clemson, S.C.
• Herrera, Key White and Lucas del Rosario scored goals for the Tar Heels. Giovanni Montesdeoca, Milo Garvanian and Matt Constant had assists.
• The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first 14 minutes of the second half after a scoreless first 45 minutes and seemed to be in control, only to see Carolina tie the game at 2-2 not long thereafter.
• After Clemson quickly scored again to go ahead, 3-2, Herrera scored in the 88th minute to make it 3-3. Neither team scored in the two overtime periods.
• Alec Smir made five saves in goal for the Tar Heels.
Top-Ranked Wake Forest Edges No. 3 UNC, 1-0
• Kyle Holcomb scored in overtime to lift No. 1 Wake Forest to a 1-0 win over No. 3 North Carolina in men's soccer action at Spry Stadium on Oct. 18.
• On the winning play, Omar Hernandez sent a long cross into the box from 25 yards away on the left side. Holcomb beat UNC goalkeeper Alec Smir to the ball by a split second and put it in the net for the Demon Deacon victory.
• It was the first goal allowed by Carolina in the 2020 season.
Filippo Zattarin Earns National & ACC Honors
• Graduate transfer defender Filippo Zattarin has quickly made his stamp on the Tar Heels this fall, evidenced by his game-winning goal in Carolina's 1-0 win over #3 Clemson on Oct. 9.
• Zattarin scored the game-winning goal on a header with 0:01 remaining in regulation to lift North Carolina to a 1-0 win over No. 3 Clemson on Oct. 9 in Chapel Hill. A graduate transfer from Saint Mary's (Calif.), Zattarin also helped lead a Tar Heel defense that held the Tigers scoreless with just two shots on goal.
• Zattarin was named the co-ACC Player of the Week and the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week on Nov. 12.
Smir Earns ACC & National Weekly Honors
• Junior goalkeeper Alec Smir earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 5 after his strong performance at Duke.
• A day later, the United Soccer Coaches oaches named Smir the organization's national Player of the Week.
• Smir helped UNC open its season on a high note on Friday with a 2-0 win at Duke. The Greensboro native recorded his 10th career shutout and his eighth in his last 19 games started. Smir saved all three Duke shots on goal in 90 minutes played. He also controlled the action from the back throughout the night, directing the Tar Heel defense and intercepting multiple crossing passes to lead the UNC to the road win.
• Smir started all 18 games for the Tar Heels in 2019, ranking fourth in the ACC in goals against per game (1.06) and tying for seventh in the ACC in shutouts (five).
Shutout Win At Duke, 2-0
• Carolina wasted no time in striking early and got strong play in goal from junior Alec Smir as the Tar Heels beat Duke, 2-0, on Oct. 2 in Durham, N.C.
• UNC recorded four shots on goal on the night, two of which found the back of the net. Both of the goals came on set plays. Matt Constant scored on a header off a free kick in the first half from Milo Garvanian, and Santiago Herrera scored on a free kick in the second half. Duke out-shot Carolina on the night overall, 9-6, but the Tar Heels had four on-goal to Duke's three.
• Smir posted a strong effort, saving all three of Duke's shots on goal, including a punch save on a short range shot in the second half to preserve a 1-0 lead. Smir posted five shutouts in 2019 to tie for seventh in the ACC, and he posted another shutout in his first effort of 2020.
Carlos Somoano
• Tenth-year UNC head coach Carlos Somoano entered the 2020 season ranked second in the nation in winning percentage among active Division I head coaches.
• Somoano has a 131-40-28 career record, good for a program-best .729 winning percentage.
• Somoano reached the summit of collegiate soccer when he led the Tar Heels to the 2011 NCAA title, becoming just the second rookie head coach in NCAA history to win a national championship. He returned to the College Cup with his Tar Heel squad in 2016 and 2017, marking the third appearance in the sports ultimate destination under his leadership.
• Somoano has guided eight of his nine squads to NCAA postseason play and five of those teams reached at least the NCAA quarterfinals.
Dorrance Field
• Carolina boasts one of the finest soccer and lacrosse facilities in the nation. Carolina opened its new, on-campus Lacrosse & Soccer Stadium on March 2, 2019, by hosting a men's and women's lacrosse doubleheader. The stadium was dedicated as Dorrance Field in honor of longtime women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance in September 2019.
• It is built on the site of the old Fetzer Field, which housed six sports on campus from 1935 through 2017. The facility is home to UNC's men's and women's soccer and lacrosse teams.
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