A late penalty kick goal sunk Carolina against visiting Cal, 2-1, in the opening round of the ACC Tournament at Dorrance Field on Wednesday night.

The Tar Heels took an early lead on a Luke Hille goal in the seventh minute and held that advantage through halftime, but Cal flipped the match midway through the second half. A goal in the 64th minute leveled the score before a replay review of a foul awarded the Golden Bears a penalty kick in the 78th minute. Cal’s Alfredo Ortiz converted to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. Carolina only managed one more shot on goal in the final moments.

The two teams finished level on shots on goal (5-5), with Carolina holding a slim 14-10 edge in total shots. The Tar Heels and Golden Bears also combined for 21 fouls and 14 corner kicks.

The loss is UNC’s second in a row and drops the Tar Heels to 9-4-4 overall entering NCAA Tournament play. Carolina has won just one of its last six ACC matches, losing four and tying once. The team will now await its NCAA Tournament assignment, which will be revealed during the selection show on Monday, November 18 at 1 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Men’s Soccer on Twitter

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 21-27, 2026
This series of posts will be made weekly on Chapelboro with a full schedule of UNC sports contests, both in Chapel Hill and elsewhere. Note that game times and broadcast information are subject to change due to inclement weather or other factors. It’s a lighter week for UNC sports as we approach the end of […]
UNC Sports: Women's Soccer Wins; Men's Soccer, Field Hockey Both Lose
It was a busy weekend across the UNC sports spectrum, as both soccer teams and the field hockey team were in action late Saturday and early Sunday. The women’s soccer team continued its hot streak with a blowout win, while the men’s soccer and field hockey teams each suffered conference losses. The men’s team took […]
UNC Men's Soccer Shuts Out American at Dorrance Field
A dominant UNC effort held visiting American without a single shot on target in a 2-0 win at Dorrance Field Tuesday night. Job done ☑️ UNC dominates American and comes away with three points to improve to 2-1-3! The Heels are back in action Saturday night when we host No. 21 Clemson at 7 pm. […]
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 […]
›