The UNC men’s soccer team got back in the win column Tuesday night, topping William & Mary 3-0 on the road. The win snapped a three-match winless streak for the team.
All three of Carolina’s goals came in the first half, and the first two came inside nine minutes. Freshman midfielder Sam Williams netted his second goal of the season in the fourth minute, and teammate Ernest Bawa struck with a long-range rocket in the ninth. The score was also Bawa’s second of the year. Junior Yaya Bakayoko scored his first career goal in the 37th minute, and the Tar Heels were on cruise control from there.
The win marked the first time all season Carolina had scored three goals in a single match. They hadn’t done so since the regular-season finale in 2021.
In net, senior goalkeeper Marco Saborio-Perez got his second career start and earned his first career win, all while putting together a clean sheet. Saborio-Perez made three saves on the night, including a stop on a penalty kick in the second half. It was Carolina’s first shutout in the last four matches.
Now 7-4-4 overall, the Tar Heels will return to Dorrance Field one more time in the regular season. The team will celebrate Senior Day against Virginia on Friday at 7 p.m. The ACC Tournament begins the following week.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Anthony Sorbellini
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