2023 Men's Soccer Roster
Bawa, Ernest
Jersey Number 20
Ernest Bawa
- Position:
- Midfielder/Forward
- Height:
- 5-9
- Weight:
- 157
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Portor, Ghana
- High School:
- The Taft School (Conn.)
Bio
2023 - Senior Season
Appeared in 22 matches, earning the start in four • Logged a career-high 641 minutes on the field • Played a season best 61 minutes in the regular season finale at No. 14 Virginia • Scored four goals during the season, third best on the team • Sealed the victory against VCU with an 86 minute goal • Scored a penalty kick goal in the win against Florida Gulf Coast • Had his first career mult-goal game in the ACC Tournament First Round win versus Virginia Tech • Dished out an assist in the ACC Tournament Semifinal win against Syracuse • Recorded 24 shots and seven shots on goal throughout the year • Named to the All-ACC Academic Team • Named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll
2022 - Junior Season
Appeared in 14 matches, earning a starting role in 11 of them • Logged 608 minutes, including a career-high 72 at Elon • Finished the year with three goals and one assist for seven points • First goal came in the 64th minute at NC State • Scored from 40 yards out at William & Mary in the ninth minute • Had the game-winning goal vs. Boston College to send UNC to the ACC Quarterfinals, also recording a game-high six shots • Assisted Akeim Clarke’s goal at Boston College during the regular season • Ranked third on the team with 20 shots and second with 12 shots on goal.
2021 - Sophomore Season
Saw action in 13 games and earned three starts, including the first of his career at Davidson on Sept. 6 • Logged 340 minutes, including a career-high 44 on two occasions • Finished the season with seven points from three goals and one assist • First career goal was in the season opener against Bucknell on Aug. 26 • Scored UNC’s lone goal versus VCU (Aug. 29) and recorded another against Georgia Southern, also tallying an assist (Sept. 3) • Took 20 shots on the year, including seven on target.
2020 - Freshman Season
Appeared in 11 games off the bench • Logged 95 minutes.
Prep
Calls Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, home in the U.S. • Attended The Taft School in Connecticut • Played four years of soccer at Taft and ran two years of track (100M, 200M, long jump, javelin) • Gatorade state player of the year in Connecticut • All-State All-American Game and New England All-Star Game participant • Tallied 72 career goals • New England Soccer Journal Midfielder of the Year • Two-year team captain • French Honor Society • Played club soccer with Black Rock FC.
Personal
Born in Accra, Ghana • Birthday is November 15 • Is the first person in his family to reach high school, graduate high school and enroll in college • Is the youngest of three kids and his family currently lives in Ghana • Majoring in exercise and sport science.
Appeared in 22 matches, earning the start in four • Logged a career-high 641 minutes on the field • Played a season best 61 minutes in the regular season finale at No. 14 Virginia • Scored four goals during the season, third best on the team • Sealed the victory against VCU with an 86 minute goal • Scored a penalty kick goal in the win against Florida Gulf Coast • Had his first career mult-goal game in the ACC Tournament First Round win versus Virginia Tech • Dished out an assist in the ACC Tournament Semifinal win against Syracuse • Recorded 24 shots and seven shots on goal throughout the year • Named to the All-ACC Academic Team • Named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll
2022 - Junior Season
Appeared in 14 matches, earning a starting role in 11 of them • Logged 608 minutes, including a career-high 72 at Elon • Finished the year with three goals and one assist for seven points • First goal came in the 64th minute at NC State • Scored from 40 yards out at William & Mary in the ninth minute • Had the game-winning goal vs. Boston College to send UNC to the ACC Quarterfinals, also recording a game-high six shots • Assisted Akeim Clarke’s goal at Boston College during the regular season • Ranked third on the team with 20 shots and second with 12 shots on goal.
2021 - Sophomore Season
Saw action in 13 games and earned three starts, including the first of his career at Davidson on Sept. 6 • Logged 340 minutes, including a career-high 44 on two occasions • Finished the season with seven points from three goals and one assist • First career goal was in the season opener against Bucknell on Aug. 26 • Scored UNC’s lone goal versus VCU (Aug. 29) and recorded another against Georgia Southern, also tallying an assist (Sept. 3) • Took 20 shots on the year, including seven on target.
2020 - Freshman Season
Appeared in 11 games off the bench • Logged 95 minutes.
Prep
Calls Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, home in the U.S. • Attended The Taft School in Connecticut • Played four years of soccer at Taft and ran two years of track (100M, 200M, long jump, javelin) • Gatorade state player of the year in Connecticut • All-State All-American Game and New England All-Star Game participant • Tallied 72 career goals • New England Soccer Journal Midfielder of the Year • Two-year team captain • French Honor Society • Played club soccer with Black Rock FC.
Personal
Born in Accra, Ghana • Birthday is November 15 • Is the first person in his family to reach high school, graduate high school and enroll in college • Is the youngest of three kids and his family currently lives in Ghana • Majoring in exercise and sport science.
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