After a strong finish to the season which saw them defeat three ranked teams in a row, the UNC men’s soccer team received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament Monday afternoon.

The Tar Heels will have at least one more home match on their schedule, as Carolina is scheduled to host Loyola in the tournament’s first round at Dorrance Field on Thursday, November 18. A time has not been announced as of Monday afternoon.

The Loyola Greyhounds finished this season with a 10-6-3 record and won their first Patriot League championship en route to the NCAA Tournament. This is their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2009.

The winner of the first-round match between UNC and Loyola will face No. 16 overall seed New Hampshire in the second round on Sunday, November 21. The Wildcats are 16-1-2 this season and are appearing in their fifth straight NCAA Tournament. Their America East Championship loss to Vermont was their first loss this season.

UNC, who finished this season at 11-6-1, is one of eight ACC teams in the 48-team tournament. Duke, Clemson, Pitt and Notre Dame all secured national seeds, while Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Louisville join the Tar Heels as unseeded teams.

Carolina’s last appearance in the NCAA Tournament ended in a College Cup appearance last spring, when the Tar Heels defeated national seeds No. 4 Stanford and No. 5 Wake Forest on the way to the national semifinals. They are seeking the third national championship in program history.

For a complete look at the NCAA bracket, click here.


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