University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
NC State
Crawford's Dramatic Goal Results In Tar Heel Victory
October 19, 2002 | Men's Soccer
Oct. 19, 2002
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Despite dominating play the entire night the 25th-ranked North Carolina men's soccer team found itself less than a half minute away from going to overtime Saturday night with NC State at Fetzer Field.
ut senior midfielder Matt Crawford's bizarre goal with 12 seconds left lifted the Tar Heels to a 2-1 win over the Wolfpack before a crowd of 2,085. The winning goal came after the Tar Heels were awarded a corner kick with about 30 seconds remaining. Sophomore midfielder Ray Fumo chose to push the ball out to Crawford on the right side of the pitch rather than launching a pass into the box. Crawford dribbled toward the penalty area and found an alley to shoot from on the right side just as he entered the penalty area. Crawford's shot was on goal and NC State goalkeeper Mitchell Watson, who was utterly brilliant all night, moved to his right to get in position to make a save. But Wolfpack midfielder Isreal Mejia slipped in the box about five yards in front of Watson. As Mejia fell the ball struck his shin and deflected in to Watson's left. It was Crawford's fourth goal of the season and his second game-winning goal.
The win lifted the defending NCAA champion Tar Heels to 9-5 on the season and it evened the Tar Heels' ACC record at 2-2. NC State fell to 4-9 overall and 0-6 in the ACC. UNC has now won six matches in a row over the Wolfpack, last losing to NC State in 1997.
The game had plenty of momentum changes. UNC completed dominated both halves but could never put NC State away. UNC outshot the Wolfpack 13-3 in the first half but led only 1-0 at halftime. The Tar Heel goal came at 1:56 and it came off the foot of Marcus Storey, the sophomore midfielder's seventh goal of the season. Crawford served a ball from the right side into the penalty area that was flicked on by the head of senior striker Ryan Kneipper near post. Both Storey and senior forward David Testo, playing in his first match since September 28, were there and Storey booted the ball home into the right side of the goal.
Later in the half Storey was taken down on a hard tackle in the box by State's Brandon Fair at 32:48. Fair was issued a yellow card which would loom large later in the match. Carolina did not gain an immediate benefit however as Testo's penalty kick was saved by Watson, who finished the match with 13 saves.
Carolina would continue to control play in the second half as the Tar Heels outshot the Wolfpack 12-4 in the second 45 minutes of play. But one play turned the game around as NC State reserve stripped the ball from UNC junior defender David Stokes and scored on a breakaway with 67:29 to play, shooting a rocket into the upper right shelf. After a war of attrition in the midfielder in the next 12 minutes, Fair took down Storey once again just outside of the UNC box at 80:38. It was Fair's second yellow card which resulted in a red card and expulsion from the game.
With NC State now a man down the Tar Heels attacked relentlessly in the final 10 minutes, keeping the ball on their half of midfield the entire time and creating several great chances. With the match apparently heading to overtime, however, Fumo and Crawford combined on the goal to lift the Tar Heels to the win.
The Tar Heels will play host to George Mason Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Fetzer Field in their next match while NC State plays at Charlotte next Friday at 7:30 p.m.
NC STATE 0 1--1
NORTH CAROLINA 1 1--2
1:56--UNC--Marcus Storey (7) (Ryan Kneipper, Matt Crawford)
67:29--NCSU--Bryant Salter (5)
89:48--UNC--Matt Crawford (4) (Ray Fumo)
Shots: UNC 25, NCSU 7
Shots on Goal: UNC 15, NCSU 4
Saves: Ford Williams (UNC) 3, Mitchell Watson (NCSU) 13
Corner Kicks: UNC 7, NCSU 1
Fouls: UNC 10, NCSU 17
Offsides: UNC 2, NCSU 0
Yellow Cards: Ryan Kneipper, Mike Gell (UNC); Brandon Fair, David Snoke, Sean Neville (NCSU)
Red Card: Brandon Fair (NCSU)
Records: UNC 9-5, ACC 2-2; NCSU 4-9, ACC 0-6
