CARY - After failing to connect on six first-half shots, it appeared that the North Carolina men's soccer team would make like the weather and go cold in its first-round ACC Tournament matchup against N.C. State on Wednesday.
But the Tar Heels caught fire after the break as they scored two goals in an eight-minute span to defeat the Wolfpack 2-0 at SAS Soccer Park.
UNC senior midfielder Andrew Rhea registered the team's first goal in the 73rd minute. Tar Heel sophomore Blake Beach squeaked a dribbling pass by two Wolfpack defenders, allowing Rhea to knock a short shot into the left pocket of the goal.
"I took a touch, and we've been working on those in practice," Rhea said. "I've been dead-on on those, and I was due to make one."
Less than eight minutes later, Tar Heel junior forward Jamie Watson used his back foot to deflect a Dax McCarty corner kick into the net and put the game out of reach.
UNC controlled the ball for the majority of the game, as it outshot State by six shots and held the Wolfpack to just one attempt on goal in the first half.
"Our defense did a good job of containing (State forward) Aaron King, who is a threat for 90 minutes," said North Carolina coach Elmar Bolowich. "Possessing the ball also has to do with movement, and our players did an excellent job of making it difficult for State to track us."
But the Tar Heels squandered scoring opportunities in the game's first half, as they were called for three offsides penalties and sent a number of shots wide of the goal.
"This is probably one of our better games this year as far as keeping possession in the first half," Watson said. "There were a couple of chances we wished we could have done better because our job is to score.
"All game, we had been knocking at the door. So when (Rhea) scored, we finally got the goal we deserved."
The Tar Heels had to play the second half without its second-leading scorer, Corey Ashe.
The sophomore forward sustained a mild concussion after the ball deflected off a 'Pack defender and hit Ashe in the face in the 26th minute. His status for the next game is uncertain.
UNC and N.C. State also met in the first round of last year's ACC Tournament in a thrilling matchup that ended with the Wolfpack winning on penalty kicks.
While last season's loss was a disappointment for the Tar Heels, Rhea said that revenge was not the focus for Wednesday's game.
"We were thinking more down the line of winning the ACC championship, making it to the (NCAA) Tournament," he said. "So it was more so a drive to keep the year going than getting revenge."
The Tar Heels will face Maryland in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament at 8 p.m. Friday.
In their previous matchup this season, the Terrapins prevailed 1-0. In order to avoid a similar outcome, UNC will look to play 90 minutes of aggressive soccer.
"We need to make sure that we don't take the backseat," Bolowich said. "If the other team is in the driver's seat, they can sit back and defend, and we will have to create, which is always harder to do.
"The game should be a good match, and we can win if we just keep our focus better."
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