Looking to make it back to the NCAA College Cup for a third consecutive campaign, the UNC men’s soccer team will begin the 2018 season ranked No. 3 in the country in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll–which was released Tuesday.

The Tar Heels are the highest ranked of the seven ACC teams among the poll, with No. 1 Stanford and No. 2 Indiana the only two teams in the nation ranked ahead of them.

Other teams from the ACC in the preseason poll include: No. 5 Wake Forest, No. 6 Louisville, No. 10 Duke, No. 11 Clemson, No. 15 Virginia and No. 17 Notre Dame. 

UNC has captured the ACC Coastal Division title in each of the last three seasons, and the program’s six College Cup appearances in the last 10 years are more than any other school during that time frame.

Head coach Carlos Somoano and company are seeking their second national championship since 2011, when Somoano led the Tar Heels to a title with a 1-0 victory over UNC-Charlotte.

Regular season play will officially begin for the Tar Heels on Aug. 24 in Greensboro against East Tennessee State.

For the full United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, click here.

 

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

Related Stories
‹
Missed Opportunities Loom Large as Marshall Tops UNC in Men's College Cup Semifinals
Despite allowing just one shot Friday evening at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, the UNC men’s soccer team fell in the NCAA College Cup Semifinals to Marshall by a score of 1-0. The Tar Heels (9-5-4) racked up 11 shots in the match–with five ending up on target–but were unable to make the most of […]
Men's Soccer: Giovanni Montesdeoca Earns Third Team All-American Honors
UNC senior forward Giovanni Montesdeoca was chosen as a Third Team All-American on Thursday by the United Soccer Coaches. Montesdeoca led the Tar Heels with five goals across the team’s 16 games, while also adding a pair of assists. This is the first time he has earned All-American status in his career. UNC has gone […]
Somoano: Pandemic Scheduling Helped UNC Find Its Way to the College Cup
With the UNC men’s soccer program set for its first College Cup game since 2017 on Friday against Marshall, head coach Carlos Somoano spoke with reporters earlier this week and shared what the ride has been for the Tar Heels this season. Collegiate soccer is typically just a fall sport. But due to the COVID-19 […]
UNC Men's Soccer Punches Ticket to NCAA College Cup With Quarterfinal Victory Over No. 5 Wake Forest
A second-half goal from Santiago Herrera proved to be the difference Monday night at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, as the UNC men’s soccer team earned a 2-1 victory over No. 5 Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. The win gives the Tar Heels (9-4-4) their ninth College Cup appearance and first since 2017. […]
NCAA Men's Soccer Tourney: UNC Moves Past Stanford Into Elite Eight
Joe Pickering scored early in the first half for UNC on Thursday night at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, a goal that provided the difference in a 1-0 NCAA Tournament victory over Stanford. Pickering scored his first goal of the year on a header in the 13th minute assisted by Milo Garvanian. That would go […]
Two Tar Heels Earn Second Team All-ACC Men's Soccer Honors
UNC forward Giovanni Montesdeoca and goalkeeper Alec Smir were each named Second Team All-ACC performers in men’s soccer on Wednesday in a vote conducted by the league’s 12 head coaches. Montesdeoca led the Tar Heels with four goals and two assists this season, as UNC compiled a record of 7-3-4 overall and 7-2-3 inside the […]
No. 18 UNC Men's Soccer Defeats Duke 1-0
A first-half goal by Alex Rose proved to be the difference on Sunday night in Durham for the No. 18 UNC men’s soccer team, which held Duke scoreless in a 1-0 victory. Rose came off the bench for star forward Giovanni Montesdeoca, who left the game after a collision with a Duke player. Following a […]
Virginia Tech Stuns No. 15 UNC Men's Soccer on Senior Night
Despite out-shooting its opponents 13-3 on Friday night at Dorrance Field, the 15th-ranked UNC men’s soccer team was defeated 1-0 by Virginia Tech on Senior Night. Kristo Strickler’s goal for the Hokies came in the 52nd minute and would end up being the only goal of the entire match. Strickler scored from point-blank range after […]
No. 16 UNC Men's Soccer Takes Down Notre Dame in Overtime
Tim Schels scored just under seven minutes into overtime on Saturday night in South Bend, lifting the 16th-ranked UNC men’s soccer team to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Notre Dame. Notre Dame (8-7-0, 4-5-0 ACC) took the lead early in the game on a goal from Reese Mayer in the 20th minute of action, and […]
Men's Soccer: No. 15 UNC Battles to Scoreless Draw Against Syracuse
The 15th-ranked UNC men’s soccer team battled to a scoreless 0-0 draw on the road against Syracue on Saturday, ending what had been a two-game winning streak to begin the spring season for the Tar Heels. For the year, UNC is now 5-3-3 overall but the Tar Heels’ spring performance of seven points through three […]
›