A hard-fought match at Dorrance Field came down to the final minutes Friday night. The UNC men’s soccer team and Wake Forest were knotted at a goal apiece before a costly foul on Joe Pickering in the box gave the Demon Deacons a penalty kick in the 88th minute. UNC goalkeeper Alec Smir couldn’t keep the kick out, and the visitors walked away with a 2-1 win.
It’s yet another frustrating result for the Tar Heels, who started the season ranked in the nation’s Top 5, yet now sit at just 6-4-1 overall, and 2-3-0 in ACC play. Carolina outshot Wake Forest 9-6, and holds a 197-49 shot advantage over all opponents on the season, but have seen their fair share of defeats.
All three goals between the two sides came in the second half. Wake’s Kyle Holcomb scored just three minutes into the half, but UNC freshman Tega Ikoba answered five minutes later. It was the fourth goal of the season for Ikoba, who is quickly becoming one of Carolina’s best offensive weapons. He is now second on the team in goals, behind teammate Cameron Fisher.
Forward Santiago Herrera led the Tar Heels with three shots, two of which were on goal.
The match served as a bit of revenge for Wake Forest, who were eliminated in the NCAA quarterfinals last season by UNC, by an identical 2-1 score.
The Tar Heels will next be in action on Tuesday, October 12 when Wofford visits Chapel Hill for a non-conference clash.
Featured image via Carolina Athletics
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