A dominant UNC effort held visiting American without a single shot on target in a 2-0 win at Dorrance Field Tuesday night.

Despite controlling possession, Carolina could not find a way through the American defense in the first half. UNC fired 10 total shots to the Eagles’ none in the opening 45 minutes, but only one of those shots forced a save. The frustrated Tar Heels’ breakthrough didn’t come until the 72nd minute, when Riley Berge beat American keeper Evan Tubbs to the ball and was brought down, drawing a penalty. Luca Nikolai stepped to the spot for Carolina and chipped the ball just over Tubbs’ outstretched glove to open the scoring.

Not content to sit on the 1-0 lead, UNC continued knocking on the door until Joschi Schelb scored in the 86th minute, doubling the advantage and effectively sealing the Carolina win. Schelb’s four goals this season are the most on the team, with Nikolai sitting in second place with two.

Overall, UNC outshot American 20-2 and held a 10-1 edge in corner kicks. It was the first time the Tar Heels had held an opponent without a shot on target since Oct. 7 2025, a run of 15 matches.

The Tar Heels are now 2-1-3 overall on the season and 0-0-2 in ACC play. Carolina will continue its homestand Saturday when it hosts No. 21 Clemson at Dorrance Field at 7 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Dalton Wainscott

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