CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Following a 1-0 win earlier this week, the University of North Carolina men’s soccer team faces its first road test of the 2022 season on Friday night at No. 5 Duke. Kickoff between the crosstown foes is set for 7 p.m. ET at Koskinen Stadium in Durham.
The contest will mark the 98th edition of the Tobacco Road rivalry between the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils with Carolina owning the all-time series at 50-37-10. Although UNC dropped a 3-0 decision last year at home, it holds an 8-2 advantage over the last 10 games which includes a 4-0 mark in Durham.
Friday’s match will be the highest ranked opponent UNC has faced this season its second top-10 match. It will also be the first top-5 program Carolina has seen since falling to No. 5 Pitt on Sept. 10, 2021.
Fresh off their second shutout of the year over East Tennessee State on Tuesday, the Tar Heels will arrive in Durham with a 3-2 record on the year having also posted wins over Air Force and South Florida. UNC fell to No. 10 Pitt on Sept. 9 in the conference opener before suffering another setback to Florida International.
Leading Carolina is Milo Garvanian with two goals and an assist for five points while Andrew Cordes has made 14 stops between the posts for a .778 save percentage. Key White, Hilli Goldhar and Sam Williams have also scored once so far this year with Williams netting the game-winner against the Bucs for his first career goal.
Now returning to Atlantic Coast Conference action, UNC notched two votes to be tied for second with Pitt as the overall league champion in the preseason poll. Reigning national champion Clemson received six votes from the conference’s 12 head coaches to be crowned the preseason favorite for the ACC champion.
League coaches also 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.
Duke enters Friday’s clash with a 4-0 record on the year, including a 1-0 mark in ACC play after defeating then-10th-ranked Louisville in the conference opener. The Blue Devils were ranked No. 5 in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll, their highest ranking this season.
Pacing Duke is Shakur Mohammed, who was named the ACC…
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