The UNC men’s soccer team earned its first draw of the season Friday night, battling to a 1-1 tie with the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils in Durham. Duke had come into the match 4-0 on the year. This was their first non-win result.

Though the Tar Heels found themselves behind in the 10th minute of action, they struck back in the blink of an eye. Just 29 seconds after Duke’s shot found the back of the net, junior forward Akeim Clarke equalized off a perfect cross from teammate Hilli Goldhar.

Carolina was fortunate to not go down once again in the first half, as goalkeeper Andrew Cordes had to make three saves just in the first 45 minutes. All in all, Duke controlled play and outshot Carolina 10-4, but UNC’s defense held for the final 80 minutes of the match. It was particularly stingy in the second half, as the Blue Devils did not send a shot on goal in the period.

UNC tested the Duke goalie once more in the second half, but graduate defender Til Zinnhardt’s shot was saved. It was the only shot on goal for either side in the half.

The Tar Heels walk away from the match with a 3-2-1 overall record, though the team is still searching for its first win in conference play. Up next, Carolina will host UNC-Wilmington at Dorrance Field on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. before a tough stretch of consecutive ACC matchups with Notre Dame and Clemson. Both the Irish and Tigers made the College Cup last season, with Clemson taking home the championship.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Anthony Sorbellini

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 biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
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 […]
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 […]
›