David October takes off in September in 3-0 win over Pittsburgh

For the 67 minutes he played in the North Carolina (4-1-0, 1-0-0 ACC) men's soccer team's 3-0 win over Pittsburgh, the left back looked dangerous. He defended, used his speed to push into the attacking third and shot dangerous crosses into the box.               

No, it wasn’t Jordan McCrary, the midfield/defender hybrid who terrorized opposing offenses for three years in that role. A torn ACL has kept the senior, who has 66 starts under his belt, on the sideline. In his place, freshman David October, who made his second career appearance after returning from a pulled hamstring last week, did his best McCrary impression.

“It’s such a shame he got injured,” October said. “He’s the kind of character, the kind of bite we need as a person on the team. Coming in and only knowing the guys for a couple of months, I can tell he’s such an important character along with him being an incredible player.”

October didn’t make a huge dent in the scorebook with just two shots, but he made his case for the starting lineup after taking over for Friday’s starter Colton Storm just more than 13 minutes into the game.

The left and right defender starting jobs are still open, and October pressured Pittsburgh’s defense on multiple occasions. Coach Carlos Somoano said he wasn’t ready to make any decisions based off one performance, but he said October played well.

“His quality on the ball is exceptional,” Somoano said. “He rarely gives it away. He doesn’t just play safe. He plays attacking ball.”

Though October frequently pushed forward like McCrary, leading to crosses in the box, free kicks or corner kicks, that’s where the comparison ends.

“Jordan’s (a) more abrasive, pesky type, harder player,” Somoano said. “David’s (a) very elegant, smooth type (of) guy.”

Playing at that left back role, October walks a tight balancing act of defending and attacking. An attacking left back adds another offensive weapon, and it also forces the opposing forward to retreat.

“Carlos has already kept reminding me that is very, very important,” said October about the dual role. “You have to make intelligent, smart decisions with your runs because otherwise you’ll become exposed at the back.”

Somoano said it’s a hard position that requires anticipation to move up the field and recover when necessary.

“I told him any left back can be an attacking left back if they don’t defend,” Somoano said.

But October is more seasoned than an average freshman, and he understands his role. A native of Cambridge, England, October trained with Ipswich Town, a competitive English team, before coming to UNC.

“He actually talks a lot more than most freshmen,” said junior defender Jonathan Campbell, who played center back next to October. “That’s with his experience. He’s used to doing that. He’s not afraid to do that even though he’s a younger guy. You need them to talk and be communicating the whole time.”

He might not replicate everything McCrary brings to the table, but October also brings an exciting dimension to the game that could make it hard to keep him off the field.

“I love to get forward,” October said. “I feel as though I bring that exciting flare in the game at the minute that is sometimes so important for fullbacks to get in the game.”

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