Men’s Soccer Thumps Notre Dame, 7-1, Saturday Night

Saturday, October 10

Chapel Hill

7 PM

North Carolina

6-2-3, 2-1-2

Notre Dame

5-4-3, 2-3-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Notre Dame	1	0	1
North Carolina	3	4	7

Highlights

October 10, 2026 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The University of North Carolina men's soccer team didn't let the weather bog it down and instead rained goals on Saturday night on Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium. The Tar Heels buried Notre Dame 7-1 in a resounding ACC victory. The seven goals are the most for the Tar Heels in an ACC match since UNC won 7-1 against NC State in 2000.

UNC has now won four in a row and sits at 6-2-3 (2-1-2 ACC) on the year, while Notre Dame falls to 5-4-3 (2-3-0 ACC).

Joschi Schelb led the way again with a hat trick and an assist, while Ryan Zellefrow scored two goals and produced a trio of assists. Bertil Rygaard Hansen and Luca Nikolai also rippled the net for the Tar Heels.

Schelb's hat trick is the first one for UNC since Dan Klink's last October. It is also just the 10th hat trick by a Tar Heel since 2002. Schelb now has five goals over his last two matches and 12 for the season, which ranks second nationally.

In addition to Schelb and Zellefrow's assists, the Heels got helpers from Nico Loebus (2), Rygaard Hansen (2), Nikolai and Riley Berge.

Notre Dame jumped out to an early lead with a nice goal in the seventh minute. But, UNC looked dangerous all night and leveled through Schelb at the 28-minute mark. Then, the Tar Heels scored two goals in 26 seconds in the 35th minute to break it open. Schelb scored his second after Zellefrow showed off his footwork and made it easy for Schelb to finish. Just seconds later, Zellefrow took a cross and calmly passsed it into the far corner for the 3-1 lead and the Heels rolled from there.

UNC needed just a minute in the second half to add to the lead through a Rygaard Hansen header. Schelb finished off his hat trick in the 50th minute followed by Zellefrow again in the 57th minute. Nikolai added the extra point in the 82nd minute from the spot, converting his third penalty of the season.

How It Happened

3' – On the Heels first attack of the game, Joschi Schelb was stuffed at point blank range on a swiveling shot and Nico Loebus' follow-up went over the bar.
7' – Notre Dame's Tristan Topeano turned in a Vlad Walent cross to put the Irish in front.
12' – Ryan Zellefrow made a nice turn in the box but his shot was straight at the keeper.
28' – Bertil Rygaard Hansen and Luca Nikolai had some nice combo play allowing Nikolai to cross and Joschi Schelb headed home to level the match
35' – Zellefrow used some fancy footwork to skip past the ND defense and put it on a platter for Schelb to secure his brace.
35' – Just 26 seconds later, Rygaard Hansen and Nico Loebus combined down the right wing and the cross found Zellefrow who tucked it home for a two-goal lead.
46' – Zellefrow juked and dodged in the corner and delivered a delicious cross that met the head of Rygaard Hansen for UNC's fourth.
50' – Schelb bagged a hat trick after some slick passing between Zellefrow and Loebus.
57' – Riley Berge passed into Schelb who flicked it through for Zellefrow, who juked his defender and buried his second of the night.
82' – Luca Nikolai converted another penalty for the Heels and is now 3-for-3 from the spot this year.

Tar Heel Tidbits

Joschi Schelb's goals were his 10th, 11th and 12th of the season and the 30th, 31st and 32nd of his career. Schelb has scored in nine of 11 matches this season including a streak of six straight games.
Schelb's 12 goals on the season are currently second nationally and he's posted brace and a hat trick in the last two games.
Ryan Zellefrow's goals were his third and fourth of the season and the eighth and ninth of his career.
Bertil Rygaard Hansen's goal was his first of the season and the seventh of his career.
Luca Nikolai's goals was his third of the season and the 11th of his career.
Zellefrow's assists were his second, third and fourth of the season and the eighth, ninth and 10th of his career.
Luca Nikolai's assist was his fifth of the season and the 18th of his career. He's had at least one assist in three straight matches.
Bertil Rygaard Hansen's assists were his fourth and fifth of the season and the 10th and 11th of his career.
Nico Loebus' assists were his third and fourth of the season and the eighth and ninth of his career.
Schelb's assist was his second of the season and the 21st of his career.
Riley Berge's assist was the first of his career.

Up Next
Carolina will head back on the road when it travels north to face Pitt on Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. Fans can watch the match on ACCNX.

Stay up to date with UNC men's soccer by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.