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University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Akron
No. 4 Tar Heels Fall To No. 1 Akron
September 3, 2010 | Men's Soccer
Sept. 3, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The No. 1 team in the nation lived up to its billing Friday night at Fetzer Field as the Akron Zips knocked off the No. 4 North Carolina Tar Heels, 3-0. The Tar Heels out-shot the Zips 14-6 on the night and drew five more corners but were unable to find the back of the net. Carolina will look to rebound Sunday afternoon against Seton Hall.
Akron found the back of the net early on when Eric Stevenson tallied in the eighth minute after a run by Kofi Sarkodie. The defender made a run down the right side and crossed the ball into the box looking for Darlington Nagbe who missed the ball but Carolina was unable to clear the ball. Stevenson gathered the ball eight yards out and deposited the ball into the back of the net.
The Zips made it 2-0 when junior Michael Nanchoff curled a free kick into the box that found the head of Perry Kitchen who tallied his first goal of the season. Despite the two-goal deficit the Tar Heels out-shot the Zips 6-2 in the opening 45 minutes. Akron's goalkeeper, David Meves, recorded four saves in the first half. The Tar Heels opened the second half looking like a completely different team as they rattled off four consecutive shots in the opening five minutes. Alex Dixon tested Meves just 23 seconds into the second stanza with a shot from outside the 18-yard box. Dixon tallied the next shot that sailed wide of the net forcing a goal kick.
Senior Michael Farfan tallied the next two shots taking speculative efforts from 25-yards out that narrowly missed the frame of the goal. Farfan would later go on to deliver a perfect corner for Stephen McCarthy who connected on a laser of a header that was unable to find the goal.
Akron appeared to be on its way to making it 3-0 in the 63rd minute when Darlington Nagbe found his way behind the Tar Heel backline on a breakaway but sophomore goal keeper Scott Goodwin rose to the occasion and turned away Nagbe's effort to keep the score at 2-0.
Goodwin was not as fortunate less than two minutes later as Nagbe connected on a header in the box to provide the final margin. Akron's Chris Korb made a run down the left side and swung a ball into Nagbe who finished off the goal.
Once the Zips extended their lead to 3-0 the Tar Heels were out of sorts and were unable to get back into the game. Carolina will not have much time to worry about the opening game of the season as the Tar Heels host Seton Hall on Sunday at 2 p.m.
