A concerted offensive effort in the second half helped UNC rally from an early deficit and earn a 1-1 draw with No. 4 Wake Forest at Dorrance Field Friday night.

The Demon Deacons went ahead 1-0 in the 22nd minute and continued to threaten in the latter stages of the first half, but UNC turned the momentum around after halftime. San Diego transfer Jack Sandmeyer equalized for the Tar Heels in the 67th minute with a deflected header off a set piece, giving UNC its first goal in the team’s last three matches played. It was Sandmeyer’s first goal as a Tar Heel.

Carolina was on the front foot for much of the half, outshooting Wake Forest 15-6 overall and sending five shots on target. UNC goalkeeper Andrew Cordes made four saves of his own, including one just two minutes after the Tar Heels had equalized. Cordes has now made 11 saves in UNC’s last two matches after making five in the season’s first four.

UNC is now 3-1-2 overall on the season and 0-0-2 in ACC play. The Tar Heels will return to action at Dorrance Field next week when they host Memphis on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Dalton T. Wainscott

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
‹
This Week in UNC Sports: September 14-20, 2026
The upcoming week offers several high-caliber matchups for multiple UNC teams both at home and on the road.
UNC Men's Soccer Earns Draw vs. No. 1 Stanford in Chapel Hill
Goals from UNC’s Ryan Zellefrow and Luca Nikolai helped the Tar Heels play to a 2-2 draw against No. 1 Stanford at Dorrance Field Friday night. Zellefrow’s goal in the 13th minute was Carolina’s first shot of the night. It came against the run of play, as Stanford had manufactured the first two chances of […]
UNC Soccer: Women Win at Arizona State, Men Draw at Cal
Both the UNC men’s and women’s soccer teams were playing out west Sunday. The women used a penalty kick goal to beat Arizona State 1-0 in Tempe, while the men battled to a 2-2 draw against Cal in Berkeley. On the women’s side, the Tar Heels and Sun Devils combined for just seven total shots […]
UNC Men's Soccer Defeats VCU for First Win of 2026 Season
An early goal from Nick Lockermann was all UNC needed to secure a 1-0 victory against VCU at Dorrance Field Friday night. It was Carolina’s first win and clean sheet of the season. Carolina Victory 🙌 The Heels kept a clean sheet and Nick Lockermann’s first-half blast gives UNC its first win of the young […]
UNC Men's Soccer Falls Behind Early, Loses at Memphis
UNC allowed two goals in a span of less than two minutes in the first half at Memphis Monday night, and the Tar Heels couldn’t recover from that early deficit in a 3-2 loss to the Tigers. Memphis’ Eben McIntyre scored the match’s opening goal in the 13th minute on the first shot of the […]
The UNC Men's Soccer Coach Envisions a 2-Semester Season. Could it Work?
UNC men’s soccer head coach Carlos Somoano recently told 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck about one of his pipe dreams: a plan to move college soccer from a one-semester to a two-semester schedule, spreading out the schedule across the fall and spring. Somoano called the proposal a “passion project,” one which has been on […]
'Trial By Fire': UNC Men's Soccer Coach Previews 2026 Season, Discusses Rule Changes
UNC men’s soccer head coach Carlos Somoano joined 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck Thursday, Aug. 6 for a wide-ranging conversation. Somoano, who is entering his 16th season as head coach at Carolina and who earlier this year agreed to a three-year contract extension, shared his excitement for the Tar Heels’ 2026 season and also discussed […]
UNC Soccer and Lacrosse Venue Christened Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium
Dorrance Field, the home venue for the UNC soccer and lacrosse programs, has expanded its name to Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium. The expanded name comes in recognition of a gift from Kathleen Welsh and Gary Loveman, parents of two former UNC women’s soccer players. UNC describes Play2Dream as “a private family foundation” founded […]
UNC Men's Soccer Announces Schedule for 2026 Season
The UNC men’s soccer program has announced its schedule for the 2026 regular season. The Tar Heels are looking to build off a 2025 season which saw them reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It’s about that time ⏳ The 2026 season is just around the corner and we’ve finalized our schedule. Save […]
Multiple UNC Teams Post Perfect Academic Progress Rates, New Report Says
Several UNC sports programs posted perfect single-year and multi-year academic progress rates for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the NCAA’s latest report. Academic progress rate (APR) is used to track performance of scholarship students who compete on varsity teams, and the score measures eligibility and retention each semester. A perfect score is 1000, and […]
›