CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Looking to make it a 3-0 start to the 2022 season, the 13th-ranked University of North Carolina men’s soccer team welcomes Florida International to Dorrance Field on Saturday for a matchup set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Moving up 11 spots from the initial preseason rankings, the Tar Heels sit at No. 13 in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll. UNC knocked off Air Force, 2-1, in the season opener on Aug. 25 before posting a 1-0 shutout over South Florida on Aug. 28.
Sunday’s win over the Bulls marked head coach Carlos Somoano‘s 150th career victory. He ranks first in program history – as well as first and sixth, respectively, among current Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA coaches – in win percentage at .716.
Midfielder Milo Garvanian leads the way for Carolina with two goals and one assist for five points through the first two games of the season, including netting the game-winner against South Florida. For his efforts, Garvanian was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week on Aug. 29.
Sebastian Schacht was tabbed to the ACC’s preseason watch list last month. He and fellow graduate transfer Til Zinnhardt appeared on United Soccer Coaches’ preseason watch list for midfielders and defenders, respectively, with Zinnhardt also landing on the Hermann Trophy Watch List.
Florida International arrives in Chapel Hill with a 1-1 record on the year, having been topped by Akron, 5-3, in the season opener before beating No. 25 St. John’s, 1-0, on Monday. Four players – Stephen Afrifa, Paulo Alves, Julian Hodek and Fumiya Shiraishi – have each scored one goal apiece in the young season while goalkeeper Kevin Harr owns a .727 save percentage.
Under third-year head coach Kyle Russell, the Panthers received votes in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll after landing at No. 18 during preseason. Now in its first season as an affiliate member of the American Athletic Conference, FIU was picked to finish third in the AAC preseason poll while Afrifa, Matteo Gasperoni and Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro were selected as preseason all-conference.
Saturday’s match will be the sixth meeting in program history between North Carolina and Florida International. Carolina will seek to extend its all-time record in the series which falls in its favor at 3-2, including…
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