Despite falling to Syracuse in the ACC Championship quarterfinals, the North Carolina men’s soccer team earned an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament.
UNC's quest for a third national title in men's soccer will begin at noon on Thursday at Dorrance Field when the Tar Heels host High Point. The Panthers are fresh off a Big South conference title and will look to spoil North Carolina’s 29th NCAA postseason appearance.
Here are three keys for the Tar Heels to knock off the Panthers and advance to the second round.
Capitalize on opportunities
Simply put, North Carolina’s attack has been lackluster this season.
The Tar Heels rank second worst in the ACC in goals scored, having only scored more than one goal a game five times this season. UNC even had a monthlong cold stretch during which it found the back of the net just four times.
However, since the end of October, North Carolina’s offense has found its spark plug in Ernest Bawa. The junior forward has scored two of the Tar Heels' six total goals in the last four games. Even in North Carolina’s shutout defeat against Syracuse — the eventual ACC champions — the Tar Heels tallied three more shots on goal than the Orange.
Throughout the year, many Tar Heels have voiced a lack of "courage" inside the box as one of the biggest reasons for North Carolina’s offensive deficiencies. Whether it's Bawa utilizing his speed on the outside or junior forward Akeim Clarke attacking the heart of the Panthers’ backline, North Carolina will need to cash in any opportune strikes to help its chances of moving on.