The No. 4 North Carolina men’s soccer team (12-2-1, 4-1-1 ACC) defeated Old Dominion (7-3-2, 4-0-0 C-USA) on Tuesday night after the Tar Heels forced overtime in the final minutes of regulation to win the game 2-1 in the second extra period.
What happened?
Despite controlling possession for most of the first half and outshooting Old Dominion 9-2 in the frame, North Carolina found itself tied at halftime after several close shots went wide or hit the crossbar. Early into the second half, Old Dominion scored on its one and only shot of the half on a breakaway by Max Wilschrey. The score remained 1-0 for most of the half until a flurry of shots from North Carolina in the final 15 minutes resulted in the tying goal by first year Lucas del Rosario with just two minutes left in regulation. del Rosario landed the game winner in double overtime, as the Tar Heels' shot barrage finally paid off for the win.
Who stood out?
The talented first-year del Rosario came up big when North Carolina needed it, scoring both the game-tying and game-winning goals for the Tar Heels. The two goals doubled del Rosario’s tally for the season, bringing the first-year's total up to four goals. Rosario had played sparingly in the first six games, but has recently been getting much more playing time, despite not playing in the last two games for UNC. The game also marks his second game winner for the Tar Heels, the first coming earlier in the season against UNC-Greensboro.
When was it decided?
The entire game seemed like North Carolina’s for the taking, with the Tar Heels outshooting Old Dominion 23-4 for the game. Even after UNC went down early in the second half, the offense was still creating good looks throughout the entire game. It wasn’t until a tense second overtime that North Carolina finally managed to seal the deal, winning after 101 minutes of gameplay on a chilly October night.
Why does it matter?
North Carolina avoided tying twice in a row after their scoreless draw against No. 5 Louisville, and firmly established themselves as a team that can find a way to win games even in unideal circumstances. UNC got a hard fought win before they finish out their conference play against Virginia Tech and No. 12 Notre Dame in the coming two weeks.
