University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Dana Gentry
Men's Soccer Opens NCAA Play Sunday Vs. Charlotte
April 30, 2021 | Men's Soccer
Matchup: North Carolina (7-4-3) vs. Charlotte (6-3-1)
Rankings: UNC No. 16, Charlotte No. 14 (United Soccer Coaches)
Date: Sunday May 2, 2021
Site: Cary, N.C. (WakeMed Soccer Park Field #2)
Time: 5 p.m.
TV: NCAA.com
• North Carolina's men's soccer team will begin postseason play in the 2020-21 regular season on Sunday when it plays Charlotte in an NCAA Tournament second round match at WakeMed Soccer Park Field #2 in Cary, N.C.
• UNC finished second in the ACC Coastal standings in 2020 behind Pitt, based on its 4-1-1 record this Spring against divisional opponents (wins over Pitt, Virginia, Notre Dame and Duke, a tie with Syracuse and a loss to Virginia Tech).
• The 49ers are 6-3-1 this season and ranked No. 14 in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
• Opening kick is scheduled for just after 5 p.m., and the contest will be streamed on NCAA.com.
Carolina's NCAA Tournament History
• North Carolina is making its 27th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its 20th in the last 22 years.
• In the last 12 NCAA Tournaments (2008-19), Carolina leads all NCAA Division I programs in NCAA Tournament wins (23), Sweet 16 appearances (nine), quarterfinal appearances (eight) and College Cup berths (six).
• The Tar Heels are 40-21-8 (.647) all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• UNC has reached the NCAA College Cup eight times (1987, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017).
• Carolina won the NCAA title in 2001 and in 2011.
• Tar Heel head coach Carlos Somoano led Carolina to the NCAA championship in 2011 in his first season as the UNC head coach.
Carolina Closes Regular Season With Win At Duke
• Carolina senior forward Giovanni Montesdeoca and junior goalkeeper Alec Smir earned Second-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors for the 2020-21 season, the ACC announced following a vote by the league's 12 head coaches..
• Montesdeoca leads the Tar Heels with four goals, two assists and 10 points this season, leading Carolina to a 7-4-3 overall record, including 7-2-3 in the ACC.
• Smir has been magnificent in goal for the Tar Heels, posting nine shutouts and allowing just 0.54 goals per game in 2020-21.
Carolina Closes Regular Season With Win At Duke
• Alex Rose came off the bench to score the game's only goal as No. 18 North Carolina shut out Duke, 1-0, at Koskinen Stadium on April 11.
• At the 31:05 mark in the first half in a play that began with a throw-in near midfield, Tim Schels fed Rose, whose shot found the back right low corner of the net for a 1-0 advantage.
• Rose had entered the game as a replacement for Giovanni Montesdeoca, who exited in the first half after a collision with a Duke player.
• Carolina goalkeeper Alec Smir posted his 17th career shutout and his ninth of the 2020-21 season. UNC's defense held its opponents scoreless in 24 of 28 halves this season.
Tough Home Loss to Hokies on Senior Night
• Kristo Strickler scored in the 52nd minute as Virginia Tech's men's soccer team beat 15th-ranked North Carolina, 1-0, on a chilly April 2 at Dorrance Field.
• The game marked the final regular season home appearances for UNC seniors Giovanni Montesdeoca and Mark Salas, who are set to graduate and move on to the professional ranks after the season.
• Carolina out-shot the Hokies, 13-3, including 9-2 in the second half. Tech's Matt Zambetti (1-4-1), made 10 saves to pick up the win.
Schels Lifts Heels to OT Win at Notre Dame
• Tim Schels scored in the seventh minute of overtime to lift No. 16 North Carolina to a 2-1 victory in the rain at Notre Dame on March 27. Carolina came from behind to win after trailing, 1-0, at halftime.
• Midway through the overtime period, Schels stole the ball from an Irish player near midfield. Key White, who had just entered the game as a substitute, gathered the ball and passed it back to Schels as he slipped past the Irish back line and scored.
• The Fighting Irish took an early lead in the 20th minute of the game on a goal by Reese Mayer off an assist from Dawson McCartney. Santiago Herrera tied the score at the 62:15 with an unassisted goal.
Scoreless Tie At Syracuse
• Fifteenth-ranked North Carolina and Syracuse clawed their way to a scoreless tie on March 20 at SU Soccer Stadium.
• Carolina outshot Syracuse, 8-3, including a 3-0 edge in shots on goal. Syracuse had three corner kicks to UNC's one.
• Alec Smir went the distance in goal once again for the Tar Heels, holding the Orange scoreless for 110 minutes in his eighth shutout of the season and the 17th of his career.
Back-to-Back ACC Weekly Honors For Montesdeoca
• UNC senior forward Giovanni Montesdeoca was named the ACC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week on March 9 and March 16.
• The Dallas, Texas, native led the way as UNC blanked Virginia, 2-0, on March 13. He scored UNC's first goal via a penalty kick after he was taken down in the box by a Cavalier defender. Less than three minutes later, Montesdeoca fed Riley Thomas for an insurance goal and a 2-0 lead.
• Montesdeoca scored a pair of second-half goals to lead the Tar Heels to a 3-0 win over fourth-ranked Pitt on March 4. In the ninth minute of the second half, Montesdeoca took a pass from Jonathan Jimenez and scored to give UNC a 2-0 lead over the Panthers. Thirteen minutes later, he scored on a penalty kick to ice the win.
2-0 Win Over Virginia
• Carolina scored twice in a span of under three minutes in the first half and picked up a 2-0 win over Virginia on March 13 at Dorrance Field.
• After a scoreless opening 30 minutes of the game, the Tar Heels scored twice in a flurry. First, Giovanni Montesdeoca connected on a penalty kick for a 1-0 lead after Cavalier defender Irakoze Donasiyano took Montesdeoca down inside the box.
• Two-and-a-half minutes later, Montesdeoca assisted Riley Thomas for a 2-0 lead, passing into the box from the right side for a goal in the lower right corner of the net.
Dominant Win Over No. 4 Pitt
• North Carolina scored early and led virtually from start to finish in a 3-0, shutout win over fourth-ranked Pittsburgh on Friday night at Dorrance Field.
• Jonathan Jimenez scored an unassisted goal in the 11th minute to hand the Tar Heels the early lead, then Giovanni Montesdeoca scored twice in the second half to ice the victory.
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.
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 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).
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 135-41-29 career record, good for a program-best .728 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.
Rankings: UNC No. 16, Charlotte No. 14 (United Soccer Coaches)
Date: Sunday May 2, 2021
Site: Cary, N.C. (WakeMed Soccer Park Field #2)
Time: 5 p.m.
TV: NCAA.com
• North Carolina's men's soccer team will begin postseason play in the 2020-21 regular season on Sunday when it plays Charlotte in an NCAA Tournament second round match at WakeMed Soccer Park Field #2 in Cary, N.C.
• UNC finished second in the ACC Coastal standings in 2020 behind Pitt, based on its 4-1-1 record this Spring against divisional opponents (wins over Pitt, Virginia, Notre Dame and Duke, a tie with Syracuse and a loss to Virginia Tech).
• The 49ers are 6-3-1 this season and ranked No. 14 in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
• Opening kick is scheduled for just after 5 p.m., and the contest will be streamed on NCAA.com.
Carolina's NCAA Tournament History
• North Carolina is making its 27th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its 20th in the last 22 years.
• In the last 12 NCAA Tournaments (2008-19), Carolina leads all NCAA Division I programs in NCAA Tournament wins (23), Sweet 16 appearances (nine), quarterfinal appearances (eight) and College Cup berths (six).
• The Tar Heels are 40-21-8 (.647) all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• UNC has reached the NCAA College Cup eight times (1987, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017).
• Carolina won the NCAA title in 2001 and in 2011.
• Tar Heel head coach Carlos Somoano led Carolina to the NCAA championship in 2011 in his first season as the UNC head coach.
Carolina Closes Regular Season With Win At Duke
• Carolina senior forward Giovanni Montesdeoca and junior goalkeeper Alec Smir earned Second-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors for the 2020-21 season, the ACC announced following a vote by the league's 12 head coaches..
• Montesdeoca leads the Tar Heels with four goals, two assists and 10 points this season, leading Carolina to a 7-4-3 overall record, including 7-2-3 in the ACC.
• Smir has been magnificent in goal for the Tar Heels, posting nine shutouts and allowing just 0.54 goals per game in 2020-21.
Carolina Closes Regular Season With Win At Duke
• Alex Rose came off the bench to score the game's only goal as No. 18 North Carolina shut out Duke, 1-0, at Koskinen Stadium on April 11.
• At the 31:05 mark in the first half in a play that began with a throw-in near midfield, Tim Schels fed Rose, whose shot found the back right low corner of the net for a 1-0 advantage.
• Rose had entered the game as a replacement for Giovanni Montesdeoca, who exited in the first half after a collision with a Duke player.
• Carolina goalkeeper Alec Smir posted his 17th career shutout and his ninth of the 2020-21 season. UNC's defense held its opponents scoreless in 24 of 28 halves this season.
Tough Home Loss to Hokies on Senior Night
• Kristo Strickler scored in the 52nd minute as Virginia Tech's men's soccer team beat 15th-ranked North Carolina, 1-0, on a chilly April 2 at Dorrance Field.
• The game marked the final regular season home appearances for UNC seniors Giovanni Montesdeoca and Mark Salas, who are set to graduate and move on to the professional ranks after the season.
• Carolina out-shot the Hokies, 13-3, including 9-2 in the second half. Tech's Matt Zambetti (1-4-1), made 10 saves to pick up the win.
Schels Lifts Heels to OT Win at Notre Dame
• Tim Schels scored in the seventh minute of overtime to lift No. 16 North Carolina to a 2-1 victory in the rain at Notre Dame on March 27. Carolina came from behind to win after trailing, 1-0, at halftime.
• Midway through the overtime period, Schels stole the ball from an Irish player near midfield. Key White, who had just entered the game as a substitute, gathered the ball and passed it back to Schels as he slipped past the Irish back line and scored.
• The Fighting Irish took an early lead in the 20th minute of the game on a goal by Reese Mayer off an assist from Dawson McCartney. Santiago Herrera tied the score at the 62:15 with an unassisted goal.
Scoreless Tie At Syracuse
• Fifteenth-ranked North Carolina and Syracuse clawed their way to a scoreless tie on March 20 at SU Soccer Stadium.
• Carolina outshot Syracuse, 8-3, including a 3-0 edge in shots on goal. Syracuse had three corner kicks to UNC's one.
• Alec Smir went the distance in goal once again for the Tar Heels, holding the Orange scoreless for 110 minutes in his eighth shutout of the season and the 17th of his career.
Back-to-Back ACC Weekly Honors For Montesdeoca
• UNC senior forward Giovanni Montesdeoca was named the ACC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week on March 9 and March 16.
• The Dallas, Texas, native led the way as UNC blanked Virginia, 2-0, on March 13. He scored UNC's first goal via a penalty kick after he was taken down in the box by a Cavalier defender. Less than three minutes later, Montesdeoca fed Riley Thomas for an insurance goal and a 2-0 lead.
• Montesdeoca scored a pair of second-half goals to lead the Tar Heels to a 3-0 win over fourth-ranked Pitt on March 4. In the ninth minute of the second half, Montesdeoca took a pass from Jonathan Jimenez and scored to give UNC a 2-0 lead over the Panthers. Thirteen minutes later, he scored on a penalty kick to ice the win.
2-0 Win Over Virginia
• Carolina scored twice in a span of under three minutes in the first half and picked up a 2-0 win over Virginia on March 13 at Dorrance Field.
• After a scoreless opening 30 minutes of the game, the Tar Heels scored twice in a flurry. First, Giovanni Montesdeoca connected on a penalty kick for a 1-0 lead after Cavalier defender Irakoze Donasiyano took Montesdeoca down inside the box.
• Two-and-a-half minutes later, Montesdeoca assisted Riley Thomas for a 2-0 lead, passing into the box from the right side for a goal in the lower right corner of the net.
Dominant Win Over No. 4 Pitt
• North Carolina scored early and led virtually from start to finish in a 3-0, shutout win over fourth-ranked Pittsburgh on Friday night at Dorrance Field.
• Jonathan Jimenez scored an unassisted goal in the 11th minute to hand the Tar Heels the early lead, then Giovanni Montesdeoca scored twice in the second half to ice the victory.
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.
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 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).
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 135-41-29 career record, good for a program-best .728 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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