If this was graduate goalkeeper Alec Smir’s last home match as a member of the UNC men’s soccer team, he picked a heck of a way to go out.

Key saves by Smir kept the Loyola Greyhounds off the scoreboard in the Tar Heels’ first-round match in the NCAA Tournament Thursday night. But the Carolina offense also found themselves held frustratingly in check for the full 90 minutes of regulation time.

Come sudden-death overtime, the two defenses still stood strong. Smir recorded his third save of the night on a breakaway opportunity in the second overtime period to keep the match going, and the Tar Heels’ season alive. Were it the regular season, the two sides would have walked off Dorrance Field with a draw. But this being the NCAA Tournament, the 0-0 score after 110 tense, grueling minutes meant UNC would be participating in its first penalty shootout of the season.

With the Greyhounds kicking first, Smir denied the visitors on not one, but two penalty kicks to begin the shootout. Cool conversions by Carolina’s Santiago Herrera and Alex Rose, both also in their last years with the team, gave the Tar Heels a massive advantage early.

Though Loyola did score their next two penalties, the Tar Heel takers remained unflappable from the spot, with senior Milo Garvanian netting his try and then graduate Filippo Zattarin scoring the dagger to send the UNC fans home happy. Carolina took the shootout by a 4-2 margin to advance to the next round of the tournament.

The result is Carolina’s 11th shutout win of the season, all of which have come with Smir in net. Their shutout percentage of .556 is sixth-best in the country.

“You can never keep such a defensive record without an amazing goalkeeper,” said Zattarin. “Knowing he’s there helps you to do your own job as a defender, and helps the whole team play better.”

In the second round, the Tar Heels will travel north to visit No. 16 overall seed New Hampshire on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Wildcats had a bye in the first round, and come into the matchup with a sparkling 16-1-2 record. They have not lost at home all season, a statistic which the Tar Heels will try to change in their favor this weekend.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jerome M. Ibrahim

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