After a scoreless 90-minute regulation period, overtime of the UNC men’s soccer team’s first-round ACC Tournament match with Syracuse got off to a terrible start.
Less than 60 seconds into the first 10-minute period of sudden-death overtime, Carolina’s Riley Thomas received his second yellow card of the match. That meant Thomas received an automatic red card, disqualifying him from the rest of the match and leaving UNC with just 10 men on the field. The Tar Heels were able to survive until the second 10-minute overtime period, and then got the break they desperately needed.
The Orange’s Hilli Goldhar committed his second yellow-card foul in five minutes, which also resulted in a red card. UNC and Syracuse were now once again at even strength: 10 players each. It only took three more minutes for another critical break, as Syracuse’s Christian Curti committed another foul, the Orange’s 25th of the night, inside the 18-yard box, giving Carolina a penalty kick to win the match.
Senior Milo Garvanian, who came on strong in UNC’s three-match winning streak to close out the regular season, stepped up to the spot. His kick was perfectly placed: into the top left corner of the net. The goal broke the scoreless tie and ended the match in one fell swoop. Carolina, the No. 7 seed in the tournament field, advanced past No. 10 Syracuse with a 1-0 victory. Next up: a date with No. 2 seed Clemson in the second round.
The Tar Heels and Tigers did not meet in the 2021 regular season. The teams met three times in the 2020-21 season, with Carolina winning in Chapel Hill, drawing in Clemson and winning an exhibition game during the winter. Both are ranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll: Clemson checks in at No. 9 and UNC at No. 18.
Carolina has now won four straight matches, their longest streak of the season and the longest at all since 2018. They will face the Tigers on Sunday, November 7 at 8 p.m.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati
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