No. 10-seed Boston College men’s soccer squares off against seventh seed North Carolina in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday. The game will be a rematch of a hard-fought battle earlier in the season, which resulted in a 1–1 tie.
Despite BC’s losing record this season, the Eagles have been playing close matches in the past two weeks. In the last three games, the Eagles have tied North Carolina 1–1, dominated Endicott with a 5–1 victory, and tied No. 4 Syracuse 1–1 on Oct. 28. They’ll look to continue their hot streak as their postseason opens on Wednesday.
Who is BC playing?
North Carolina
When is BC playing?
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 6 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Dorrance Field, Chapel Hill, NC
How to watch?
The game will be streaming on ACC Network.
Series History:
Although the Eagles are 1–1–1 in their last three matchups against the Tar Heels, North Carolina has dominated BC historically. The Tar Heels lead the Eagles 10–4–2 in all time matchups, including a seven-game win streak from 2010 to 2016.
The last time BC played North Carolina, the game ended in a tie after early goals from both teams. North Carolina struck first with a goal from Akeim Clarke under 12 minutes into the match, but BC responded with a goal of its own from Stefan Sigurdarson 15 minutes later to tie the game at 1–1. Both teams refused to let up a goal for the final 64 minutes of the match.
What to Expect From North Carolina:
Offense
The Tar Heels have had just two games this season in which they’ve scored three goals, and they average 1.13 goals per game. Their offense has come alive in their last two games, though, especially in their match against No. 18 Virginia in which they scored two goals leading to a tie.
North Carolina’s leading scorers are Milo Garvanian and Clarke, who have each scored four goals on the season. BC needs to contain Clarke on defense, as he’s scored three goals in his last five games on 15 total shots.
Another X factor of the Tar Heels’ offense has been Tim Schels. In each of the last two games, Schels has recorded two assists. He is one the Eagles need to keep an eye on, as he has created the opportunities for four of the last five North Carolina goals.
North Carolina averages 10.4 shots per game, and BC holds its opponents to 9.1 shots per game on average.
Defense
The Tar Heels shine on the defensive side of the ball, making up for their low scoring. North Carolina holds its opponents to just 6.6 shots per game and .88 goals per game. BC, meanwhile, has averaged 12.1 shots per game and 1.47 goals per game.
Andrew Cordes has started at goalkeeper in 13 of the Tar Heels’ 16 games—including their game against BC—but has not played in the last two games of the season. BC will likely face Marco Saborio-Perez in net.
Following a shutout of William & Mary with three saves, Saborio-Perez gave up two goals in North Carolina’s game against Virginia, recording one save. This was enough to help the Tar Heels earn a tie, though, and the Tar Heels have yet to lose a game with Saborio-Perez at goalkeeper.
Outlook:
Each team recorded 17 fouls in their previous matchup. North Carolina earned one yellow card compared to BC’s three yellow cards and a red card. It will be important for the Eagles to keep their composure and limit their fouls and cards on Wednesday.
An early BC goal would put the pressure on North Carolina’s offense and allow the Eagles to control the pace of play.