A late goal allowed by No. 7 UNC men’s soccer was the difference in a tight, top ten matchup vs. No. 4 Pitt on Saturday night, as Carolina lost 2-1.

With just less than three minutes to go, Pitt midfielder Arnau Vilamitjana received a pass in the Carolina’s penalty box after the Panthers built up play on the right wing. The grad student shot immediately, driving the ball low and to the left of goalkeeper Andrew Cordes to bury it in the net.

It was Vilamitjana’s second goal on the evening, having opened the scoring in the 56th minute by positioning himself near UNC’s back post and heading in a corner kick. The goals were two of the Panthers’ four shots on target during the evening.

Carolina also had four shots on goal, with more overall taken than Pitt. But the Tar Heels’ offense struggled to find a way to get past the Panthers’ goalkeeper. A scoreless first half for UNC was followed by a spirited opening of the second frame, but Pitt’s Cabral Carter made back-to-back saves to keep his clean sheet.

When Carolina did break through to the back of the net, it was from a penalty kick. A handball in the goalkeeper’s box by Pitt led to a VAR review, which confirmed the penalty. Junior midfielder Sam Williams stepped up and scored a driving shot down the middle to draw the Tar Heels even and mark his fourth goal of the season.

Following Pitt’s comeback and eventual win, the Panthers return to the top of the ACC men’s soccer standings after having lost their previous two matchups. Carolina, meanwhile, slipped to sixth — now trailing Pitt, Stanford, Clemson, Wake Forest and Virginia and holding a 3-2-1 conference record.

The next match does not get any easier for the Tar Heels. Carolina (8-2-4 overall) will have its second-straight matchup against a top five opponent, as they fly out to California to face No. 2 Stanford on Sunday, Oct. 27. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. EST.

 

Featured photo via UNC Athletics Communications on X.

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