The UNC Men’s Soccer team will face California in their first regular season match-up Friday night in the Carolina Nike Classic.

The Tar Heels have not favored well during the preseason, starting off with a 7-0 blowout win over Gardner-Webb at home but 1-2 losses to both Wake Forest and Cary’s professional team, the Carolina Railhawks.

However, the Heels are currently ranked at 22 by the NSCAA’s coaches’ poll and coming off of a 9-6-5 record from the 2013 season.

Head coach Carlos Somoano will have some solid opportunities to build on the team’s offense this season. The Heels are returning senior forwards Tyler Engel, who led the team in scoring in 2013 with 14 points and six goals, and Andy Craven, who sustained a season-ending foot injury but was described as a “talented attacker” during his first year with Carolina as a junior.

The reigning ACC Defender of the Year, Boyd Okwuonu, will also be returning for his last go-around on the team and making another kick at top defender for the Heels.

California is currently ranked at No. 7. The game will start at 7:00 p.m. on Carolina’s Fetzer Field.