Tag: Martin Vician

Carolina’s leading goal scorer named Third Team All-American

Quenzi Huerman’s offseason transfer to UNC was a blessing in disguise. He ended his lone season in Chapel Hill an All-American.

The UNC men’s soccer team used a strong run through the ACC tournament to earn a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Carolina entered the ACC tournament with just seven wins, then proceeded to rattle off consecutive victories against Georgia Tech, consistent ACC contender Wake Forest and Syracuse, the 2022 National Champions. UNC lost in penalty kicks of the ACC Championship to Clemson, who played Notre Dame for the 2023 National Title on Monday evening.

The Tar Heels continued their late-season momentum, downing Memphis and Hofstra at home in the NCAA Tournament’s first two rounds. Carolina hosted Oregon State on Saturday, Dec. 2 for a trip to the College Cup, but lost 1-0 to a team with an ineligible player.

Regardless of how UNC’s season ended, it wouldn’t have advanced to the Elite 8 without the leg of graduate transfer Quenzi Huerman.

Huerman’s 10 goals in 2023, tied for the team lead with Sweet 16 hero Martin Vician, earned himself Third Team All-American honors.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0mYhHAr45H/?img_index=2

Huerman was the only Tar Heel on any All-American team, which was saturated with fellow ACC opponents. There’s a case for Vician to be on there, too, but he was left off.

It’s safe to say the Tar Heels will miss their two graduate transfers next season, who both utilized their final year of college eligibility in Chapel Hill.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Vician saves Tar Heels’ season in regulation, helps them advance to Elite 8 in shootout

Martin Vician, the Harvard transfer who’s now an integral part of the UNC men’s soccer team, tied Sunday’s game and scored a shootout goal.

There were just under five minutes left in the UNC men’s soccer season on Sunday night, with the Tar Heels trailing Hofstra 2-1.

The visiting Pride, who won the Colonial Athletic Association conference tournament, clung to its 1-goal advantage for most of the game.

Here came Martin Vician to save the day for Carolina.

In the 86th minute, Vician head home a Quenzi Huerman free kick to tie the game at two. Vician was also one of five Tar Heels to score in the shootout, helping his team capture a 3-2 victory and advance to host Oregon State – in the Elite Eight – on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.

After both teams failed to score in the two overtime periods, despite plenty of chances to do so, UNC went a perfect 5-for-5 in the shootout. Huerman, Vician, Andrew Czech, Ernest Bawa and Sam Williams all netted goals for the Tar Heels.

With both Williams and Hofstra’s Eliot Goldthorp converting on the shootout’s first two chances, UNC star goalkeeper Andrew Cordes needed to make a crucial save. He did exactly that, which seemed to be the offensive momentum boost Carolina needed to end things.

The Tar Heels lost via shootout to Clemson in the ACC Tournament Final, so I’m sure they were thankful to win Sunday night. They’ll be hosting Oregon State, who is coming off a 7-1, Sweet 16 domination of future ACC school SMU, on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m.

If you can’t make it to the game, for which plenty of tickets are still available, you can watch on ESPN+.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

UNC men’s soccer squad hosting Hofstra for spot in Elite 8

After downing Memphis, 2-0, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, UNC hosts Hofstra in the Sweet 16 at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday night.

What happened to the UNC women’s soccer team at BYU was disappointing, but luckily, there’s another soccer team alive in Chapel Hill.

On Sunday, Nov. 26, the Carolina men host Hofstra at 5 p.m. on Dorrance Field for a Sweet 16 matchup in the NCAA Tournament

UNC made a run to the ACC Tournament Final, beating Virginia Tech, fellow conference power Wake Forest and Syracuse, the 2023 National Champions. This run put the Tar Heels in position to earn the at-large bid it’s currently enjoying.

Carolina, the number three overall seed in the NCAA Tourney, beat Memphis 2-0 on Sunday, Nov. 19 in its second-round, NCAA opener. Martin Vician, UNC’s 6’4″ graduate forward from Bratislava, Slovakia, scored both goals in the seventh and 48th minutes.

Despite having a pair of prolific goal-scorers in Vician and team leader Quenzi Huerman (10), Carolina’s trademark is defense. The Tar Heels have limited opponents to a max of one goal per contest, which has kept UNC in a lot of games.

Hofstra, which downed Monmouth in the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) Conference Tournament final to earn its postseason berth, beat Yale by a 2-0 mark in its NCAA Tournament opener last Sunday. The Pride have 14 wins on the year, with nine of those including multiple goals.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

UNC men’s soccer squad earns first-round bye in NCAA Tourney, will host Sunday

UNC made a run to the finals of the 2023 ACC Men’s Soccer Tournament, which netted them a high seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

The UNC men’s soccer team finished fourth in the ACC’s Coastal Division this year, but an impressive run through the ACC Tournament gained it a strong seeding in the NCAA Tournament.

Carolina beat Virginia Tech (4-1), ACC Atlantic Division winner Wake Forest (1-0) and 2022 National Champion Syracuse (3-1) en route to the ACC Championship. The Tar Heels tied Clemson through three overtimes, but lost 5-3 in penalty kicks.

That run was good enough to land UNC the third overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, which begins Friday with first-round games.

Carolina will play the winner of Memphis-SIU Edwardsville on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.

There’s a lot to be excited about as UNC prepares for a run at its third national title, with the last one coming in 2011.

Carolina is led offensively by double-digit goal scorer Quenzi Huerman (10) and Martin Vician (7), who combine for 57 percent of the goals.

Despite the offensive firepower, UNC’s foundation is on defense. Goalkeepers Andrew Cordes (13 starts), Quinn Closson and Collin Travasos (six combined) have limited Tar Heel opponents to just 12 goals, which is tied for fourth-best in the country.

Just how far will Carolina go this year? Watch Sunday’s opener on ESPN+, or buy tickets here.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

UNC men’s soccer squad remains undefeated by downing UNCW

The UNC men’s soccer team is also enjoying a stellar start to its season, moving to 3-0-3 with a 3-0 victory over UNCW Tuesday night.

If you’re a UNC soccer fan, chances are you’re pretty happy right now.

Not only is the top-ranked women’s soccer squad undefeated – the men are as well.

On Tuesday, Sept. 19 at Dorrance Field, the Heels moved to 3-0-3, downing UNC-Wilmington 3-0 behind a 2-goal effort from graduate student Martin Vician.

UNC’s scoring just six minutes into the game, thanks to Vician finishing off a re-directed cross from teammate Quenzi Huerman. The Tar Heels extended their lead just nine minutes into the second half, when they took advantage of a turnover and Vician rocketed a low shot past UNCW goalkeeper Jacob Randolph.

After 19 minutes without a goal, Huerman got in on the scoring action. He one-timed a low pass from teammate Juan Caffaro, notching his team-high fifth goal of the year. Huerman’s five goals are the most by a Tar Heel through six games since 2011.

Next up for UNC is its archrival, 8th-ranked Duke, as the two Tobacco Road rivals face off in Chapel Hill on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils are coming off their first loss of the year, a 2-0 defeat at Clemson.

Fans can watch UNC-Duke on the ACC Network.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.