Cila's Goal Gives Him 1st Career Win Against UNC

The junior from Jericho, N.Y., scored in the 52nd minute on a 30-yard strike from the middle of the field. The goal clinched Duke's first victory against UNC since 1999.

The shot seemed impossibly precise. Cila blasted his shot toward the net, and it dipped at the last second into the top left corner.

Cila, though, played down the shot's difficulty.

"Ian (Carey) cut the ball back," Cila said. "I did a step-over right, the defender fell for the move, and I took the shot."

Even when pressed for a description, he remained technical.

"It was hard, accurate and dropped a bit," he said.

Tar Heel goalie Ford Williams leapt to stop the shot, but making that save would have been a stretch even for U.S. national team goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

"I like to think that all shots are saveable, but that's one of the harder ones," Williams said.

For UNC coach Elmar Bolowich, watching the shot was excruciating.

"To me, it looked like it took an hour before it went in," he said. "It was a good left-footed shot by Jordan Cila, so I'll give him credit for that."

Cila has scored goals like that before though. He netted a golden goal against Campbell in 2001. That year, he led the Blue Devils in scoring (eight goals, eight assists) and made second-team All ACC.

As a freshman, he led the team with 13 goals and nine assists, making second-team All-ACC. He also scored game-winning goals against Maryland, Buffalo, American, High Point and Charlotte during his first season.

In high school, he was MVP of the soccer team his freshman, sophomore and junior years.

No, he didn't have a senior slump. In 1999, he played for the U.S. under-17 national team and was one of only eight players to play in every national team match.

Cila said his goals for his junior year are team-oriented.

"We want to win the ACC, just like any team," he said. "Beating UNC was a great step in the right direction."

It was also a great moment for Cila.

"It was an unbelievable feeling," Cila said. "When the clock hit zero, that's one of the best feelings I've ever had."

The Sports Editor can be reached at

sports@unc.edu.