The men’s soccer team is looking for its second Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) victory against No. 5 UNC-Chapel Hill Friday, Sept. 29 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.
The No. 29 Pack (4-3-1, 1-2-0) is coming off a 3-0 shutout win against the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs on Tuesday at Dail Soccer Stadium. The Tar Heels are 9-1-0 coming into the contest against the Pack and have yet to drop a game to an ACC opponent.
The meeting on Friday will be the 85th between the two opponents with the Tar Heels leading the series 51-21-12. After last year’s game between the two teams was postponed due to weather and was not rescheduled, both teams are looking for the win in the first matchup since 2014 when the Pack lost 1-0 at home.
The Tar Heels’ only loss comes from a 1-0 game against the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks. The Heels have faced three conference opponents before meeting the Pack including Pittsburgh, Duke and Virginia.
The Tar Heels have an explosive offense which could challenge the Pack’s defense. In North Carolina’s three ACC matchups, the team has outscored its opponents 6-3. UNC currently leads the ACC in total goals and is second in shots with 147.
Heels senior forward Alan Winn leads the team with seven goals but has only played in seven of UNC’s 10 games; his offensive abilities could prove troublesome for the Pack. North Carolina also has its choice of goal keepers heading into the matchup as all three have played in at least two games and together average a .676 save percentage.
On the contrary, NC State has strong defensive abilities, only allowing 82 shots so far this season, the lowest in the ACC.
The Pack will be looking for offensive opportunities from junior forward Tanner Roberts and freshman forward Manny Perez, who have accounted for six of NC State’s eight goals thus far this season. Roberts creates problems for defenses as well as goalies with his .636 shots on goal percentage. Perez is also a threat as he was also awarded the NCAA Player of the Week earlier in the season.
The match between the rivals is set for Friday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. from WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. This is the fourth weekend in a row the Pack will take on an ACC opponent that is ranked in the top five nationally. The game can be seen on the ACC Network.
