A penalty kick goal for each side ensured UNC and SMU would play to a 1-1 draw at Dorrance Field Saturday evening.

Carolina’s Gabriel Bracken Serra opened the scoring in the fourth minute, earning his penalty kick after being taken down by the SMU goalkeeper inside the Mustangs’ 18-yard box. He converted to give the Tar Heels the lead, their first in ACC play this season.

That lead would only last until the 34th minute, when the Mustangs drew a penalty of their own against the Tar Heels’ Luca Nikolai. Goalkeeper Andrew Cordes got a hand to the penalty, but wasn’t able to keep it out of the back of the net.

SMU earned several more chances in the second half, forcing three saves out of Cordes and two within a span of 1:15 late in the match. After corresponding red cards against both teams and several more yellows, UNC saw one more chance in the 87th minute, but Dylan Kropp’s header off a set piece was saved.

The 1-1 draw is UNC’s third in a row to begin ACC play. The Tar Heels are now 4-1-3 overall and 0-0-3 in the league. Carolina will be back in action when it visits Virginia in Charlottesville next Saturday at 7 p.m.

 

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
‹
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 […]
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'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 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 […]
›