Built Ford tough: UNC goalie nabs 4th shutout

Six hours.

Three hundred and sixty minutes.

It's hard to do anything for that long, let alone hold four opponents scoreless.

Yet, that's exactly what North Carolina senior goalkeeper Ford Williams has done to start the season, posting four consecutive shutouts for the No. 2 Tar Heels.

"Ford is outstanding," UNC coach Elmar Bolowich said. "He's our personality in the goal. The guys trust him and he has a necessary confidence that he can make an impact in this game."

Williams extended his streak Sunday as UNC (4-0) defeated South Carolina, 2-0, in front of nearly 1,300 fans at Fetzer Field to cap off the Carolina Nike Classic.

"The team and defense in front of me is playing great," Williams said. "I've faced probably five or six shots on goal in four games."

It's the first time UNC has shut out four straight opponents to start the season since the magical 2001 National Championship team. What's more, Williams is two games away from tying a school record for consecutive shutouts.

"We have a ways to go," Williams said. "(The shutout record) is something to shoot for. It's something that we want to achieve, but it's not our main goal."

After a sloppy first half against the Gamecocks (0-4), UNC picked it up in the second half with increased intensity and a more aggressive style of play.

UNC finally got on the board and took a 1-0 lead eight minutes into the second half on a goal by freshman Scott Campbell.

"I was really excited," said Campbell, who notched his second goal of the season and his first in front of the home fans. "I saw Dax (McCarty) break through and play me a ball and the keeper left me a yard open on the near post. I was just like 'It's going in, it's going in.'"

Campbell also contributed later in the game when he fired a shot that the goalkeeper couldn't save cleanly, allowing Corey Ashe to put home the rebound to give the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead.

Campbell, along with fellow freshmen Stephen Bickford and Michael Callahan, has performed tremendously for UNC so far this year. The freshmen have accounted for three of the Tar Heels' seven goals and almost half of the team's total points.

"(We have) Campbell with his quickness and Bickford with his speed," Bolowich said. "We have a good combination there."

On Friday, UNC defeated Rutgers (1-3), 1-0, behind an Ashe goal and another great performance in the net by Williams.

"We haven't put together a great game yet and we're 4-0," Campbell said. "So for us, that's pretty crazy."

Despite the early accolades and high rankings, the Tar Heels know they still have a long way to go if they are going to finish the year atop the nation.

"We have potential to do something great," Williams said. "We're still too early in the season. As far as we're concerned, rankings don't mean anything. It's just a number who someone who hasn't seen many games puts on you."

 

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.