DURHAM — The No. 5 North Carolina men’s soccer team traveled down Tobacco Road Tuesday night and slipped past No. 14 Duke with a 1-0 victory, clinching the ACC Coastal Division title for the fourth consecutive year.
What happened?
The first half was an uneventful one filled with moments of urgency.
The Blue Devils (9-5-1, 4-3 ACC) had the first shot of the game in the 10th minute and another in the 41st minute, but couldn’t capitalize on either. The Tar Heels (12-2-1, 6-1 ACC) dominated possession for a majority of the half; however, they didn’t have their first shot until the 37th minute.
By the end of the half, the game was still scoreless. Duke had two shots the entire first half, both of which were on goal, while UNC had a total of four, half of them on goal.
The second half started like the first until the 56th minute. Junior Jeremy Kelly played the ball over the top, and it was deflected. Junior Jack Skahan chipped it over the Duke keeper, pushing UNC into the lead.
That single play sealed UNC’s fate. Although the play became more aggressive as the half wore down, the Tar Heels clinched the Coastal Division title and the win over their rival.
Who stood out?
Skahan continued his hot streak against Duke, scoring his fifth goal in three games. Out of the last seven goals for the Tar Heels, Skahan has scored five of them.
