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.

The underdog Ospreys drew first blood off the foot of former Tar Heel Luc Granitur, who opened the scoring in the 42nd minute just moments after North Florida had a goal called back for offsides. The Ospreys thought they had doubled the lead in the second half after a botched clearance by the UNC defense crept over the goal line, but officials nullified the goal due to a North Florida foul.

With the score still just 1-0 in favor of the visitors, UNC finally equalized in the 70th minute on a Jack Sandmeyer overhead kick from close range.

Carolina continued to apply pressure in the waning minutes and appeared to clinch a comeback win off a Dan Klink header in the 88th minute to give the Tar Heels a 2-1 lead. But the Ospreys still had fight left in them, waiting until quite literally the last second of the 90 minutes of regulation time to score an improbable equalizer. Granitur struck again after corralling an attempted clearance and booming it in off the crossbar to give North Florida a lifeline.

In sudden-victory extra time, UNC attempted three shots in the opening 10-minute period but none in the second. The Tar Heel defense limited the Ospreys attack as well, and the match would finish in a penalty shootout. It was the second straight year Carolina found itself in a shootout in the first round of the NCAA Tournament after losing to Furman last season. It looked like history might repeat itself when Gabriel Bracken Serra missed the Tar Heels’ sixth penalty after both teams had made their first five. But this time, UNC goalkeeper Andrew Cordes saved the season with a save on what would have been the winning penalty kick for North Florida. The shootout continued.

Luis Vera made no mistake on Carolina’s next kick, meaning North Florida now had to make its next penalty. Kaiss Mansouri stepped up and banged his kick off the crossbar and out, ending the shootout and sending the Tar Heels through to the next round.

UNC is now 12-11 all-time in penalty shootouts. Thursday’s win moves Carolina to 10-5-4 overall on the season, and the Tar Heels will advance to face No. 4 overall seed Maryland in the tournament’s second round Sunday at 1 p.m. in College Park.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati

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
‹
Men's Soccer Faces The Tribe On 'Local Heroes Night'
The top-ranked UNC men’s soccer team will be aiming to keep its undefeated season in tact when it hosts William & Mary at Fetzer Field at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday.
Former Tar Heels Help U.S. Women's National Team To International Friendly Win
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS – With the help of five Tar Heels, the U.S. women’s national soccer team earned a comprehensive 3-1 win against the Netherlands in Tuesday’s International Friendly. Former Tar Heel Tobin Heath scored the match’s opening goal followed by two from teammate Christen Press. All five Carolinians, including Ashlyn Harris who went the whole […]
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 […]
UNC Men's Soccer Head Coach Carlos Somoano Agrees to Contract Extension
UNC and men’s soccer head coach Carlos Somoano have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension which will keep him in Chapel Hill through June 30, 2029. The school announced the extension Monday. 𝑬𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 ✍️ Head Coach Carlos Somoano has signed a three-year contract extension, through the 2029 season. #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/HDREJOJtal — UNC Men's […]
UNC Women's Soccer to Play Exhibition Match August 28 in Ireland
More than one UNC football team will be making the journey to Ireland this August. The UNC women’s soccer team will play an exhibition match against Shelbourne FC Friday, August 28 in Dublin, the day before the Tar Heel football team faces TCU in the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Luck of the Heels […]
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 […]
›