CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Atlantic Coast Conference action officially kicks off this week, as the University of North Carolina men’s soccer team hosts No. 10 Pitt at Dorrance Field for a 7 p.m. ET match.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Carolina enters conference play with a 2-1 mark, having posted wins over Air Force and South Florida before falling to Florida International in its last outing. The Tar Heels received votes in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll and will face their first ranked opponent of the season in the No. 10 Panthers.
Midfielder Milo Garvanian leads the way for UNC with two goals and one assist for five points, including scoring the game-winner against South Florida. Key White and Hilli Goldhar have also found the back of the net once so far this year with the latter recording his first goal as a Tar Heel against FIU.
Heading into league play, reigning national champion Clemson was the preseason favorite to be crowned the ACC champion as the Tigers received six votes from the league’s 12 head coaches. UNC and Pitt both notched two votes to be tied for second.
League coaches predicted Pitt to win the Coastal Division with the Panthers receiving 57 points behind six first-place votes. North Carolina finished a close second with five votes and 52 overall points while Notre Dame received one vote and 44 points for third.
Pitt, which is ranked No. 10 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll, arrives in Chapel Hill with a 3-1 record on the year after registering wins Georgetown, West Virginia and Howard. The Panthers’ sole loss was a 2-1 defeat over Marshall, the 2020 NCAA champion.
Seven different Panthers have recorded at least one goal so far this season with Bertin Jacquesson and Valentin Noel both notching two apiece. Jacquesson was named the ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Aug. 30 after tallying a goal and an assist in Pitt’s 2-0 win over the then-No. 2-ranked Hoyas.
Friday’s contest will be the ninth meeting in history between the Tar Heels and Panthers, the last time being a 4-0 loss at Pitt in 2021. Carolina will seek to extend its all-time record in the series which falls in its favor at 8-1, including an undefeated 4-0 mark at matches played in Chapel Hill.
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