UNC men’s soccer looks to establish new identity

The No. 5 North Carolina men’s soccer team enters the 2015 season missing many of the pieces that made it successful a year ago.

Gone are leaders such as Andy Craven, Tyler Engel, Rob Lovejoy and Verneri Valimaa, who scored 33 of UNC’s 52 goals in 2014.

But even with a lot of star power gone, the young Tar Heels plan on using experience to create their own identity and leave their own legacy.

“Last year we had so many different faces. I mean we graduated 11 players, so we can’t think too much about last year,” said Coach Carlos Somoano following a 4-1 exhibition win against Winthrop on Friday.

“We have to redefine ourselves for this season as quick as we can because there are so many new players playing. The great part is that a lot of these guys have already played for us; they just may have not been starting.”

Somoano can’t pinpoint a single player he thinks will take the forefront for the Tar Heels but rather sees his formation options as the definition of his team.

“We just have so many good players,” Somoano said. “It depends a lot on fitness, health and the combination. We always try to define it more on what combination of players fit and make it work. ... We just try and put in the combinations that are really going to click.”

While UNC’s starting lineup at the beginning of the season will include familiar faces, like junior midfielder Omar Holness and senior midfielder Raby George, the squad could look different as the season goes on.

“Right now I go with a starting 11 of guys who know what Carolina soccer is all about,” Somoano said. “Guys that have been in the program. For the new guys we say, ‘Yeah they are good, but you have to fight for it.’”

Senior defender Jonathan Campbell says incorporating new youth will be key for the Tar Heels, who were selected by the ACC’s 12 head coaches to finish second in the Coastal Division.

“We’ve lost three fifth-year seniors at forward, so we have some new guys coming in,” Campbell said. “They are really talented and have a lot of potential. We’ll see if we put them in hard games, and if they shine and pull through, then we can go really far this season.”

Sophomore forward Alan Winn says the progress UNC’s 11 true freshmen make will determine how good the Tar Heels will be.

“I’m not an upperclassman, but the upperclassmen and sophomores like myself need to teach them the process and how it’s going to go,” said Winn, who accounted for 10 points as a freshman in 2014.

“If we do that, we will be outstanding this year.”

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