UNC men's soccer ends road slate undefeated

ACC road wins don’t come easily — that’s what North Carolina men’s soccer coach Carlos Somoano said just a week ago.

But with another strong defensive effort, the Tar Heels (7-3-5) captured their fourth consecutive ACC victory Friday after defeating No. 15 Virginia 1-0. With the win, UNC finished undefeated on the road for the regular season.

The only goal of the game was put in by junior Tyler Engel in the 11th minute, scored on a rebound after Virginia goalkeeper Jeff Gal mishandled the save.

The win was the second straight game in which the Tar Heels scored a goal in the first 15 minutes of the game, and Engel leads the team with five goals on the year.

Engel said that he knew it would be tough to defeat the Cavaliers on their home turf.

“It was a really hard-fought game for us, especially to go into Virginia when they were on an 11-game unbeaten streak and come away with a win,” Engel said. “The whole team played well, the defense played well.”

Somoano praised the team’s effort and mental toughness.

“I am very pleased,” he said. “Charlottesville is a tough place to go and win, and Virginia is a very good team this year. It shows a lot of maturity on our part and growth we’ve had during the season.”

The Tar Heels’ defense never let the Cavaliers establish any rhythm offensively. On the year, Virginia averages 15.8 shots per game but against UNC, the Cavaliers only managed four shots on goal. On the other side, UNC had eight shots for the game.

Junior goalkeeper Brendan Moore, who had one save against the Cavaliers, grabbed his third shutout in the last four games. He has eight shutouts on the season, and in 15 games, the senior has only allowed nine goals, which is tied for third best in the nation.

With the victory, the Tar Heels move into a tie for fourth place in the ACC.

Moore said the shutouts this season can be attributed to a collective effort by the team.

“It’s definitely not an individual effort,” Moore said. “The back line in front of me is incredible, and they’re a big reason on why we’ve been able to do that. I’ve been able to come up with some saves and control my box, but they’ve really stepped up and done their job.”

Somoano said that the team’s success is due to growing consistency and chemistry.

“We’ve tried to add pieces to our team on a day-to-day basis,” Somoano said. “We’re getting to learn each other, getting guys comfortable in their roles and trying to learn what each individual is best at.”

“I think it’s just part of the process — which is staying patient.”

sports@dailytarheel.com