No. 6 North Carolina tops Georgia Southern 3-0, improving to 2-0-1

After a 1-1 overtime draw against Virginia Commonwealth last Sunday, the No. 6 North Carolina men’s soccer team (2-0-1, 0-0 ACC) won 3-0 against Georgia Southern (1-2) at home on Dorrance Field Friday night.

What happened?

Junior Cameron Fisher and sophomore Ernest Bawa both tallied one goal and one assist Friday night. The first goal of the game from came from Bawa, who scored off of a free kick with just under three minutes remaining in the first half. 

Bawa’s goal led to a 1-0 lead for the Tar Heels at halftime and gave the team momentum heading into the second half. 

After a slow start to the second half, graduate forward Gerit Wintermeyer put the second goal on the board for North Carolina at the 74-minute mark, with junior Cameron Fisher and first-year Ken Bellini picking up assists on the play. Bellini set up the ball by passing it to Fisher from the left side of the box who then passed the ball to Wintermeyer for a straight forward goal close to the net. 

Fisher capped off his performance Friday and later scored a goal of his own with just five minutes left in the game coming off of an assist from Bawa to making the score 3-0. 

The Tar Heels continued their aggressiveness offensively with the number of shots taken. North Carolina took 21 shots with eight shots on goal compared to Georgia Southern's one shot.

Who stood out?

Bawa and Fisher both continue to stand out offensively with their consistent performances this season. 

Fisher leads the team with his six points scored so far, while Bawa is tied for second with his four points scored this season. Bawa took two shots on goal, ultimately coming out with his goal in the first half and assist in the second. Bawa has been key to starting the team off on the right note, scoring UNC's only goal against VCU last week, and the first goal of the game tonight. 

North Carolina's defensive team shined again as they only allowed an aggressive Georgia Southern team to take one shot on goal. 

Graduate goalkeeper Alec Smir successfully defended the goal as he posted his second shut out of the season. 

When was it decided?

After the Tar Heels headed into the second half with a 1-0 lead, the goal from Wintermeyer with just 15 minutes remaining was a defining moment. Fisher assisted Wintermeyer and was later able to score a goal of his own which sealed the 3-0 victory for North Carolina. 

Why does it matter?

Coming off of an overtime tie against VCU on Sunday, the Tar Heels took the field looking to prove themselves as one of the top teams in the nation. As UNC men’s soccer looks ahead, building confidence and consistency in these games early on will be crucial to executing game plans against competitive top ranked opponents in the coming weeks. 

When do they play next?

The Tar Heels will travel to Davidson, North Carolina this Monday for a game against the Davidson Wildcats. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m for the Labor Day contest.

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com