M. Soccer: Brown heads UNC to win

With his team struggling to score against Virginia, the ACC’s toughest defense, coach Elmar Bolowich had one piece of advice: Keep playing.

“We were like, ‘We can’t break ‘em down. We can’t break ‘em down,’” junior midfielder Cameron Brown said. “Coach Elmar was telling us, ‘It’s our game, we’re going to get it.’”

It took almost 109 minutes and two overtimes, but Bolowich kept the faith, and the North Carolina men’s soccer team kept its promise.

With 1:39 remaining in double overtime, Zach Loyd launched a throw-in from the right side, which was flicked to Brown by Jordan Graye.

Brown delivered a header from eight yards out for his career-best fourth goal of the season.

As No. 5 UNC rushed the crowd with the 1-0 win, the Tar Heels (7-1-1, 3-1-0) reclaimed its spot atop the conference standings.

“It’s like these ACC matches when you just need to find a way to win it,” Bolowich said. “It took us longer than we were wishing and hoping for. Nevertheless, we had a great play at the end that made a difference.”

Late game heroics have become a staple of Brown’s repertoire.

The shot marked his third game-winner for UNC this season and ties him as the team’s leading scorer along with junior midfielder Michael Farfan.

And though the match pitted the Tar Heels, the conference’s leader in goals, against the least offensively prolific team in the league — there was no doubt that defense was the focus of the game.

“It was one of the those tough games, where two great defensive teams, and they’ve proven so far by their record, are not allowing a whole lot of goals against them,” Bolowich said.

No. 12 Virginia, which leads the league in shutouts, also ranks first in the conference in goals allowed with 0.5 goals per game.

UVa.’s defense held North Carolina to their second-lowest shot production of the season with a total of 11 shots, three of which came after regulation.

“I think what they’re trying to do is play out of strong defense,” Bolowich said. “I was a little bit surprised that they were so deep.”

Bolowich attributed the Cavaliers’ 4-5-1 defense to a condensed midfield that limited gaps and scoring opportunities for UNC.

 “We had the majority of the play, and it was really hard to get behind them because there was very little room to play balls behind them or to make tackling runs behind the back line,” he said. “That was really our issue the whole game.”

Still, North Carolina managed to create offensive opportunities, outshooting the Cavaliers by an 11-5 margin.

On one such occasion, with less than three minutes remaining in the second half, sophomore Kirk Urso took a pass from Graye just outside the 18-yard-box.

Right as the ball came to Urso, the midfielder backheeled the ball into space for Graye, who was continuing his run. The defender one-timed a shot just above the crossbar.

The Cavaliers offense wasn’t as productive. UNC’s defense held UVa. to one shot during the two overtime periods.

“Offense is going to come and go,” Loyd said. “As long as they keep producing opportunities, eventually they’re going to keep falling.”

The Tar Heels will look to build upon their best league start since the 2001 national championship season Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Liberty at Fetzer Field.



Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.