UNC soccer team squeaks past Virginia, 1-0

After not scoring a single goal in its last 275 minutes, the North Carolina men’s soccer team seemed poised to come away scoreless yet again Friday, entering halftime 0-0 with Virginia.

But, sensing that his team was over thinking on the pitch, UNC coach Carlos Somoano gave the Tar Heels a simple halftime message.

“Look, stop worrying about every decision,” Somoano said. “Just stay aggressive.”

The Tar Heels listened.

Just one minute into the second half, freshman Danny Garcia fed the ball to forward Andy Craven, who then punched it through the legs of the goalkeeper from five yards out.

The goal was enough to net No. 8 UNC (5-1-1, 2-0-1 ACC) a 1-0 victory, but it wasn’t enough to erase a night of sloppy play in the eyes of Somoano.

“I just think we got to get better,” Somoano said. “These teams are good teams, and you can either manipulate the ball through them or you can’t. We’re struggling with it. Our decisions are not great, and we got to get better. That’s the bottom line.”

Somoano said he thought the Tar Heels actually played better in their last game against Wake Forest — and that contest ended in a scoreless draw.

UNC tallied just six shots Friday, four on goal, while racking up 23 fouls and two yellow cards. And, Craven’s goal notwithstanding, the offense struggled to piece together scoring opportunities.

“I think we were very hesitant in the first half, and that’s where we’re still searching,” Somoano said. “We’re still maturing and trying to figure it out. We’re still trying to define ourselves on the offense. We just got to be more aggressive. I mean, even if we screw things up, we just have to stay aggressive.”

In fairness to the Tar Heels, they certainly haven’t been helped by injuries.

Craven, who scored the game-winning goal, didn’t start the game after missing time against Wake Forest with a strained hamstring. The junior said he wouldn’t have started Tuesday’s rained-out game against Davidson if it had been played.

Redshirt junior forward Josh Rice, who Somoano said played a key role in the win Friday, has also battled hamstring issues, and he exited the game Friday after reinjuring it.

But while the UNC offense tries to find its rhythm, the Tar Heel defense has done more than its fair share to keep the team afloat.

On Friday, senior goalkeeper Scott Goodwin spearheaded that effort, picking up six saves. And in the process, he earned his 29th career shutout — a UNC record.

“All season long, that’s what’s obviously holding us together,” Somoano said. “The defense has been outstanding.”

Now, it’s up to the offense to follow suit.