Carolina opened the ACC Tournament with a bang Wednesday night, scoring a pair of first-half goals on its way to a 3-1 win at Notre Dame in the tournament’s first round. The Tar Heels, the No. 9 seed in the field, will now advance to the quarterfinals Sunday.

Nacho Abeal opened the scoring in the 21st minute, slicing into the Irish box and connecting with a cross from Bertil Rygaard Hansen for the easy finish. It was the first time the Tar Heels had led in a match since October 19 after closing the regular season on a two-match losing streak.

That lead doubled 15 minutes later, as freshman Charlie Antonelius recorded his first goal of his collegiate career on a deflected shot from outside the box.

In the second half, fellow freshman Dan Klink effectively sealed the win with a goal in the 70th minute to increase the lead to 3-0. It was Klink’s fifth goal of the season, all of which have come on headers. A Notre Dame goal in the 84th minute was too little, too late for the Fighting Irish’s hopes.

Carolina earned the 3-1 win despite trailing in both total shots (14-9) and shots on target (6-3). UNC goalkeeper Andrew Cordes made five saves to keep the Tar Heels in front, tying a season high for an ACC match.

The Tar Heels are now 9-4-4 on the season after Wednesday’s win. Up next, Carolina will visit No. 1 seed Virginia in Charlottesville in the ACC quarterfinals, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon. UNC tied the Cavaliers, 0-0, in the two teams’ regular season meeting in Charlottesville.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Fall Sports Calendar Heats Up At UNC
UNC soccer, field hockey and volleyball are all in action this weekend, with football on deck for next Saturday.
UNC's Tyler Hansbrough, Eddie Pope Elected to North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
Former UNC standouts Tyler Hansbrough and Eddie Pope are part of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, the Hall announced Monday. Hansbrough, Pope and nine other honorees will be inducted May 1 in Greensboro. The honor is just another on a long list for Hansbrough, who is already a member of […]
UNC Women's Soccer's Season Ends in Penalty Shootout in NCAA Tournament Round of 16
UNC couldn’t hold on to a 1-0 lead late in the second half Monday afternoon, and No. 2 seed TCU scored a 90th-minute equalizer before winning on a penalty shootout to end the Tar Heels’ season. Carolina had dominated possession for much of the match, holding decisive leads in both total shots and shots on […]
UNC Men's Soccer Season Ends on NCAA Tournament Penalty Shootout
Carolina played to a penalty shootout for the second straight match Sunday, but the Tar Heels came up short this time on the road against No. 4 Maryland. UNC fell 4-3 in the shootout after the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Carolina’s season is over. The Tar Heels hung tough after Maryland controlled much […]
UNC Women's Soccer Beats No. 6 Texas Tech in Penalty Shootout, Advances to NCAA Round of 16
Carolina went the distance vs. No. 6 seed Texas Tech in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Friday night, defeating the Red Raiders in a penalty shootout after the match ended in a 1-1 draw. After a scoreless first half in which UNC controlled much of the offensive possession and outshot Texas Tech 5-1, […]
UNC Men's Soccer Advances to NCAA Tournament 2nd Round in Penalty Shootout
The fans who came to see UNC face North Florida in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament at Dorrance Field certainly got their money’s worth. The Tar Heels advanced past the Ospreys in a thriller Thursday night, winning 6-5 on a penalty shootout after the match ended 2-2. Heels advance 6-5 on […]
UNC Men's Soccer to Host North Florida in 1st Round of NCAA Tournament
NCAA Tournament soccer is coming back to Dorrance Field. Carolina earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament Monday and will host North Florida in Chapel Hill in the tournament’s first round Thursday at 6 p.m. We’re In…And Hosting 💪 Your Tar Heels will welcome North Florida to Dorrance Field in the NCAA […]
UNC Women's Soccer Upsets No. 3 Tennessee in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
The national title defense for the UNC women’s soccer program will last at least a little longer. Kate Faasse scored a pair of goals to help the Tar Heels upset No. 3 seed Tennessee in Knoxville Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The 3-1 win avenges a 2-0 UNC defeat at […]
UNC Women's Soccer to Face No. 3 Seed Tennessee in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
The Tar Heels are back in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament, though not in the way many thought. Carolina earned at-large bid to the tournament field Monday afternoon and will play at No. 3 seed Tennessee in Knoxville in the tournament’s first round Friday. Let postseason begin… The Tar Heels will head to Knoxville this […]
UNC Men's Soccer Wins at Notre Dame in ACC Tournament 1st Round
Carolina opened the ACC Tournament with a bang Wednesday night, scoring a pair of first-half goals on its way to a 3-1 win at Notre Dame in the tournament’s first round. The Tar Heels, the No. 9 seed in the field, will now advance to the quarterfinals Sunday. Moving on 🚙 The Heels will play […]
›