By R.L. Bynum
You may be able to play North Carolina to a draw in soccer, but beating the Tar Heels has been another matter so far this season.
UNC is one of three schools in the country that are undefeated in men’s soccer and women’s soccer, with a combined record of 8–0–6.
The only other schools with both teams undefeated are Northwestern and Old Dominion.
The Wildcats’ No. 18 women’s soccer team is 7–0–2, and the No. 19 men’s soccer team is 6–0–1. The Monarchs are 6–0–2 in women’s soccer and 2–0–4 in men’s soccer.
The No. 2-ranked Carolina women’s team (6–0–3, 1–0 ACC) has a big week of ACC matches, visiting No. 20 Virginia (5–0–3, 0–0–1) at 7 p.m. Thursday (ESPN3) and hosting No. 4 Florida State at noon Sunday (ESPNU).
UNC’s men’s team (2–0–3, 0–0–2 ACC) has home games (both streamed on ESPN3) Tuesday at 7 p.m. against UNC Wilmington (4–1–2) and at 7 p.m. Saturday against No. 8 Duke (4–1–2, 1–1).
Senior Avery Patterson leads the women’s team, and graduate student Quenzi Huerman the men’s team, both with four goals and nine points.
The UNC men’s team is off to its longest unbeaten streak to start a season since the Tar Heels went 11–0–1 in 2015 on their way to a 15–2–3 season.
The Carolina women’s team that made the national championship game last season already had two losses through nine games. This year’s team is off to the best start for the program since winning its first 11 games in the 2020–21 season.
Scores and schedule for women’s team
Date | Month/day | Time/score | Event/opponent (current rank) | Location | TV/ record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
August | |||||
7 | Monday | W, 8–1 | College of Charleston | Home | Exhibition |
12 | Saturday | W, 2–0 | East Carolina | Home | Exhibition |
17 | Thursday | T, 0–0 | No. 6 Penn State | University Park, Pa. | 0–0–1 |
20 | Sunday | W, 3–1 | Cal | Home | 1–0–1 |
24 | Thursday | T, 0–0 | Wisconsin | Home | 1–0–2 |
27 | Sunday | W, 4–0 | No. 19 USC | Home | 2–0–2 |
31 | Thursday | W, 5–0 | Gardner-Webb | Home | 3–0–2 |
September | |||||
3 | Sunday | W, 3–1 | No. 11 Arkansas | Home | 4–0–2 |
7 | Thursday | W, 2–1 | No. 9 South Carolina | Columbia, S.C. | 5–0–2 |
10 | Sunday | T, 1–1 | No. 7 Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 5–0–3 |
15 | Friday | W, 1–0 | Virginia Tech | Home | 5–0–3, 1–0 ACC |
21 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | No. 20 Virginia | Charlottesville, Va. | ESPN3 |
24 | Sunday | Noon | No. 4 Florida State | Home | ESPNU |
30 | Saturday | 7 p.m. | N.C. State | Raleigh | ESPN3 |
October | |||||
5 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | Miami | Home | ESPN3 |
8 | Sunday | 4 p.m. | No. 15 Duke | Durham | ACCN |
13 | Friday | 7 p.m. | Wake Forest | Winston-Salem | ESPN3 |
19 | Thursday | 8 p.m. | No. 13 Notre Dame | Home | ACCN |
22 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | Syracuse | Home | ESPN3 |
26 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | Boston College | Newton, Mass. | ESPN3 |
ACC tournament | |||||
29 | Sunday | 6 & 8 | First round | Campus sites | ACCN |
November | |||||
2 | Thursday | 5:30 & 6 | Semifinals | Cary | ACCN |
5 | Sunday | Noon | Championship | Cary | ESPNU |
NCAA tournament | |||||
10–12 | TBA | First round | Campus sites | ||
17 | Friday | TBA | Second round | Campus sites | |
19 | Sunday | TBA | Third round | Campus sites | |
24–25 | TBA | Quarterfinals | Campus sites | ||
December | Women’s College Cup | ||||
1 | Friday | TBA | Semifinals | Cary | |
4 | Monday | TBA | Championship | Cary |
Scores, schedule for men’s team
Date | Month/day | Time/score | Opponent (current rank) | Location | TV/ record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
August | |||||
24 | Thursday | T, 1-1 | Loyola Maryland | Home | 0–0–1 |
September | |||||
1 | Friday | W, 2-1 | East Tenn. St. | Johnson City, Tenn. | 1–0–1 |
4 | Monday | W, 4-1 | VCU | Richmond, Va. | 2–0–1 |
8 | Friday | T, 1-1 | Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, Va. | 2–0–2, 0–0–1 ACC |
15 | Friday | T, 1–1 | No. 10 Notre Dame | Home | 2–0–3 0–0–2 ACC |
19 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | UNC Wilmington | Home | ESPN3 |
23 | Saturday | 7 p.m. | No. 8 Duke | Home | ESPN3 |
29 | Friday | 7 p.m. | No. 17 Pitt | Pittsburgh | |
October | |||||
3 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | Elon | Home | ESPN3 |
6 | Friday | 7:30 | No. 7 Syracuse | Home | ACCN |
10 | Tuesday | 6 p.m. | Florida Gulf Coast | Home | ESPN3 |
14 | Saturday | 7 p.m. | No. 20 Wake Forest | Winston-Salem | |
17 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | William & Mary | Home | ESPN3 |
22 | Sunday | 5 p.m. | No. 5 Louisville | Home | ESPN3 |
27 | Friday | 7:30 | Virginia | Charlottesville, Va. | ACCN |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications