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The Daily Tar Heel

UNC men's soccer beats No. 8 Notre Dame in double overtime

Mens soccer v Pittsburgh
The Mens Soccer team beats Pittsburgh 2-1 in double overtime at Koskinen Stadium on Saturday night.

The No. 3 North Carolina men’s soccer team defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 1-0, on Friday, playing through two periods of overtime in South Bend, Ind.

What happened? 

The Tar Heels (6-1-0, 2-0-0 ACC) played their seventh game of the year against Notre Dame. The match didn’t end until the second period of overtime, but that didn’t hinder North Carolina’s energy. 

Throughout the match the Tar Heels had 15 shots, but it took two halves and two overtime periods for one to find the back of the net. The UNC defense stymied the Fighting Irish (3-3-1, 1-1-0 ACC), who took only three shots.

With the game still scoreless around the 64th minute, the Tar Heels and Fighting Irish started intensely fighting over possession of the ball. When the uptick in intensity didn't produce a goal for either side, the game moved into the first period of overtime. 

Chapel Hill native and North Carolina junior midfielder Jeremy Kelly attempted a shot on the goal, but it was blocked in the 94th minute. The stalemate was finally broken when sophomore forward Giovanni Montesdeoca scored in the 106th minute and secured the win for the Tar Heels.

Who stood out? 

Montesdeoca gave the Tar Heels the victory and stood out the most this game. The goal was Montesdeoca’s third of the season. He said he was shocked to see the ball go in, since from his angle it looked off the mark.

“It was my first ACC goal of my career here at UNC, so I was very excited. My emotions were all over the place and I thought it was a good feeling to help your team win and get the win,” Montesdeoca said.  

When was it decided?

The game was decided when Montesdeoca scored in the 106th minute, bringing the Tar Heels to a 1-0 victory. Junior forward Jelani Pieters and sophomore midfielder Raul Aguilera worked together to get the ball to Montesdeoca, who chipped it into the back of the net.  

Why does it matter?  

This win matters for North Carolina because it shows that the Tar Heels have the stamina to win against a top-10 team in a long, hard-fought match. Additionally, the Tar Heels seem to have a secret weapon when it comes to overtime. Of its last 11 matches to go into overtime, UNC has won every one.  

Where do they play next?

The Tar Heels face Clemson on Sept. 28 in Cary at 7 p.m.

@markburnett1234

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com

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