Men's Soccer Looks For Third In A Row At Syracuse Saturday

Saturday, March 20

Syracuse, N.Y.

2 PM

North Carolina

Syracuse

Santiago Herrera

Photo by: Dana Gentry

March 18, 2021 | Men's Soccer

Watch UNC Notes Live Stats

Matchup: North Carolina (5-3-2, 5-1-2 ACC) vs. Syracuse (1-6-3, 0-5-2 ACC)
Date: Saturday March 20, 2021
Site: Syracuse, N.Y. (SU Soccer Stadium)
Time: 2 p.m.
TV: ACC Network Extra

• North Carolina will look for its third consecutive win and play its first road game of the Spring when it visits Syracuse on Saturday afternoon.
• Opening kick is scheduled for just after 2 p.m. ACC Network Extra will stream the game live.
• ACCNX is a streaming-only viewing option available via the ESPN app that broadcasts sporting events not available on ESPN's linear television networks. ACCNX access is included if your cable, satellite or streaming service provider carries ACC Network. Fans will need to use their account with their cable, satellite or streaming provider to log in at the WatchESPN website or download the ESPN app for their mobile or streaming device.
• After dropping a 1-0 decision to Libery on Feb. 25, Caroina roared back with a dominating, 3-0 win over No. 4 Pittsburgh on March 5 and a 2-0 shutout of No. 24 Virginia on March 13.
• Syracuse is 1-6-3 this season, including 0-5-2 in the ACC.
• Starting at Syracuse, Carolina will play three of its final four Spring matches on the road, with Senior Night coming on April 2 in Chapel Hill vs. Virginia Tech.

Tar Heels Enter National Rankings At No. 15
• Coming off back-to-back shutout wins over Pittsburgh and Virginia, Carolina climbed into the United Soccer Coaches for the first time this spring at No. 15 on March 16.
• The Tar Heels, who were unranked the previous week but received votes, beat No. 4 Pitt, 3-0, on March 5 and No. 24 Virginia, 2-0, on March 13.

Back-to-Back ACC Weekly Honors For Montesdeoca
• UNC senior forward Giovanni Montesdeoca was named the ACC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week on March 9 and March 16.
• The Dallas, Texas, native led the way as UNC blanked Virginia, 2-0, on March 13. He scored UNC's first goal via a penalty kick after he was taken down in the box by a Cavalier defender. Less than three minutes later, Montesdeoca fed Riley Thomas for an insurance goal and a 2-0 lead.
• Montesdeoca scored a pair of second-half goals to lead the Tar Heels to a 3-0 win over fourth-ranked Pitt on March 4. In the ninth minute of the second half, Montesdeoca took a pass from Jonathan Jimenez and scored to give UNC a 2-0 lead over the Panthers. Thirteen minutes later, he scored on a penalty kick to ice the win.

2-0 Shutout Over Virginia
• Carolina scored twice in a span of under three minutes in the first half and picked up a 2-0 win over Virginia on March 13 at Dorrance Field.
• After a scoreless opening 30 minutes of the game, the Tar Heels scored twice in a flurry. First, Giovanni Montesdeoca connected on a penalty kick for a 1-0 lead after Cavalier defender Irakoze Donasiyano took Montesdeoca down inside the box.
• Two-and-a-half minutes later, Montesdeoca assisted Riley Thomas for a 2-0 lead, passing into the box from the right side for a goal in the lower right corner of the net.

Dominant Win Over No. 4 Pitt
• North Carolina scored early and led virtually from start to finish in a 3-0, shutout win over fourth-ranked Pittsburgh on March 4 at Dorrance Field.
• Jonathan Jimenez scored an unassisted goal in the 11th minute to hand the Tar Heels the early lead, then Giovanni Montesdeoca scored twice in the second half to ice the victory.

MLS Drafts Three Tar Heels
• MLS teams selected three Carolina players in the 2021 Major League Soccer Superdraft, held on Jan. 22.
• Defender Matt Constant went as the No. 23 pick in the second round (No. 50 overall) to Sporting KC. Defender Mark Salas went 22nd in the third round (No. 76 overall) to FC Dallas, and forward Giovanni Montesdeoca later joined him with FC Dallas as the 25th pick in the third-round pick (No. 79 overall).
• Generation adidas players and others who sign contracts have joined their MLS clubs for the 2021 preseason. Draftees who do not sign contracts may compete for their college team during the Spring 2021 semester before reporting to their MLS clubs in late May.
• Highlighted by a dozen first-round selections, 25 ACC men's soccer players were selected in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft. The 25 selections are by far the most ACC picks in the SuperDraft, besting the previous record of 18, set twice previously. In all, players from 11 ACC programs represented exactly one-third of the 75 total draft picks.
• The ACC's total of 12 first-round selections stands as the most ever from one conference in the MLS SuperDraft, topping the ACC's previous record of eight, set in 2016, 2018 and 2020. The ACC's total this year was quadruple that of any other conference.

Filippo Zattarin Earns National & ACC Honors
• Graduate transfer defender Filippo Zattarin has quickly made his stamp on the Tar Heels this fall, evidenced by his game-winning goal in Carolina's 1-0 win over #3 Clemson on Oct. 9.
• Zattarin scored the game-winning goal on a header with 0:01 remaining in regulation to lift North Carolina to a 1-0 win over No. 3 Clemson on Oct. 9 in Chapel Hill. A graduate transfer from Saint Mary's (Calif.), Zattarin also helped lead a Tar Heel defense that held the Tigers scoreless with just two shots on goal.
• Zattarin was named the co-ACC Player of the Week and the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week on Nov. 12.

Smir Earns ACC & National Weekly Honors
• Junior goalkeeper Alec Smir earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 5 after his strong performance at Duke.
• A day later, the United Soccer Coaches oaches named Smir the organization's national Player of the Week.
• Smir helped UNC open its season on a high note with a 2-0 win at Duke. The Greensboro native recorded his 10th career shutout and his eighth in his last 19 games started. Smir saved all three Duke shots on goal in 90 minutes played. He also controlled the action from the back throughout the night, directing the Tar Heel defense and intercepting multiple crossing passes to lead the UNC to the road win.
• Smir started all 18 games for the Tar Heels in 2019, ranking fourth in the ACC in goals against per game (1.06) and tying for seventh in the ACC in shutouts (five).

ACC Preseason Coaches Poll
• The Atlantic Coast Conference has released its 2020 men's soccer preseason poll after voting from the league's head coaches, and North Carolina was picked to finish third in the South Region while also receiving one vote as the overall ACC champion.
• Clemson was tabbed as the coaches' preseason favorite to win the 2020 ACC Men's Soccer Championship, edging out Wake Forest by one vote as the overall conference favorite and by one point as the South Region favorite.
• Receiving first-place votes from nine of 11 coaches, Virginia was picked as the favorite in the North Region ahead of Pitt.

Carlos Somoano
• Tenth-year UNC head coach Carlos Somoano entered the 2020 season ranked second in the nation in winning percentage among active Division I head coaches.
• Somoano has a 133-40-28 career record, good for a program-best .731 winning percentage.
• Somoano reached the summit of collegiate soccer when he led the Tar Heels to the 2011 NCAA title, becoming just the second rookie head coach in NCAA history to win a national championship. He returned to the College Cup with his Tar Heel squad in 2016 and 2017, marking the third appearance in the sports ultimate destination under his leadership.
• Somoano has guided eight of his nine squads to NCAA postseason play and five of those teams reached at least the NCAA quarterfinals.

Dorrance Field
• Carolina boasts one of the finest soccer and lacrosse facilities in the nation. Carolina opened its new, on-campus Lacrosse & Soccer Stadium on March 2, 2019, by hosting a men's and women's lacrosse doubleheader. The stadium was dedicated as Dorrance Field in honor of longtime women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance in September 2019.
• It is built on the site of the old Fetzer Field, which housed six sports on campus from 1935 through 2017. The facility is home to UNC's men's and women's soccer and lacrosse teams.