Tag: North Carolina Tar Heels Soccer

Former UNC soccer standout in line for prestigious NCAA award

Cindy Parlow Cone was one of the best soccer players to don a jersey for UNC. 25 years removed, she now won a prestigious award.

For all the talk UNC receives about being a basketball school, which it definitely is, there’s other programs who enjoy even more success.

The most historically dominant athletics program in Chapel Hill is the UNC women’s soccer team, who owns the all-time NCAA record with 21 national titles. Carolina nearly captured the 2022 championships but hasn’t won it all since 2012.

It’s not uncommon to see former Tar Heels on the National Team – Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Tobin Heath, to name a few.

How about Cindy Parlow Cone? She played with Hamm, was the National Player of the Year from 1996-1998, plus she helped Carolina capture the 1996 and 1997 NCAA Titles.

Now 25 years removed from collegiate soccer, Parlow won a prestigious collegiate honor – the 2024 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award.

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This award recognizes former student-athletes – 25 years after their collegiate careers end.

Cone’s stats backed up her historic UNC status, with 68 career goals and 53 assists. She continued on to enjoy a successful career with the USWNT, scoring 75 goals in 158 games while helping her national teammates win the 1999 World Cup, 1996 and 2004 Olympic Gold Medal games.

Cone was an assistant at Carolina from 2007-2012, coaching her players to titles in 2008, 2009 and 2012. Right now, she is president of the United State Soccer Federation.

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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.

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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.

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Oregon State soccer player discovered ineligible AFTER Elite 8 win over UNC

The UNC men’s soccer team saw its strong season come to an end on Saturday, Dec. 2 in the Elite 8 round. Controversy emerged the week after.

Saturday, Dec. 2 was a sad night for UNC soccer fans, with the men’s team losing a tightly-contested, 1-0 defensive battle at home against Oregon State in the Elite 8.

The Beavers scored a first half goal and, despite a couple of solid Tar Heel chances, held on and advance to the College Cup. Oregon State has since seen its season come to an end, losing 1-0 to Notre Dame in a semifinal match.

What resulted long after UNC’s loss to the Beavers, however, is what’s frustrating.

Oregon State midfielder Javier Armas, a Pac-12 First Team selection this past year, was later discovered to be ruled ineligible for the UNC matchup.

Armas’ ineligibility resulted from his eighth yellow card accumulated in the Sweet 16, when the Beavers beat 2024 ACC newcomer SMU (Southern Methodist University).

Though it’s tough to find any good news for Carolina in this situation, Armas never scored in the Elite 8 contest. Soccer is one of those sports, however, where you don’t need to score to positively affect the game.

While there are a lot of what ifs in this situation, I’m sure this wouldn’t be talked about if UNC had emerged victorious. The Tar Heels did nothing wrong – it’s just simply not fair when an opponent’s best player, despite being ineligible, is allowed to play.

It’d be nice to see a replay, or even UNC in the College Cup, but we’re already at the Championship round. An ACC program will win it all regardless, as Notre Dame faces Clemson, on Monday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

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Isabel Cox ends UNC soccer career with program record

Isabel Cox was one of seven seniors on this year’s UNC women’s soccer team. She set a pretty historic career milestone.

The UNC women’s soccer team saw its successful season come to an end earlier than expected, watching a 3-goal, second-half lead disappear in a 4-3, Elite Eight loss to BYU.

Carolina had title aspirations, especially coming off a runner-up finish to UCLA the year before. BYU, however, was top seed for a reason.

Despite the disappointing end, UNC saw several players earn honors.

One of those players was forward Isabel Cox, a Greensboro, N.C. native who played in 21 of Carolina’s 23 games. Cox set a UNC record with 110 career matches played, which also ranks third all-time in NCAA history.

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UNC will definitely miss Cox next year, as she is one of seven Seniors set to graduate. Cox helped anchor a defense that only allowed multiple goals three times.

The Heels’ best stretch of 2023 play came in October, when they only allowed multiple goals in their first-round, ACC Tournament loss to Pitt.

Despite Cox and several of her senior teammates leaving, Carolina’s current roster lists 22 returners. 10 of those will be rising juniors, eight will be rising sophomores and four will be juniors.

Will 2024 finally be the year UNC snaps its championship drought? The Tar Heels have won an NCAA-record 21 titles, but haven’t captured one since 2012.

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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.

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Senior stars shine in UNC women’s soccer home finale

The UNC women’s soccer team was clicking in virtually every aspect on Sunday afternoon, beating Syracuse in its home finale by a 6-1 mark.

After three consecutive ties, the UNC women’s soccer team wondered when another solid effort would put a win in its back pocket.

How about Senior Day?

On Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill, Tar Heels senior Avery Patterson scored two second-half goals, leading her team to a dominant, 6-1 victory over the Syracuse Orange.

It took UNC a little while to score, but the floodgates opened once it did.

Senior Maycee Bell, Carolina’s main defensive star, started the scoring barrage with her 34th-minute tally on a beautiful re-direct.

Minutes later, junior Bella Sember scored her first of the year. She deked out a Syracuse defender, then sent a low show past Syracuse keeper Shea Vanderbosh.

After a brief halftime break, UNC senior midfielder Sam Meza scored her first of the year on a rebound. Syracuse’s Erin Flurey stopped the bleeding momentarily, but not before Patterson scored her team-leading eighth and ninth goals of the season.

You thought five goals were enough? Think again.

Carolina freshman Melina Rebimbas ended the scoring onsalught with her second of the season, sending another low shot past the outstreched arm of Vanderbosh.

UNC has one more game remaining on its schedule, a 7 p.m. kickoff on Thursday night at Boston College. If the Tar Heels win, they’d finish undefeated heading into an expectedly-difficult ACC Tournament.

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Tar Heels take down ranked Duke team for Sunday victory

The UNC men’s soccer nabbed its fourth win of the season Sunday afternoon, upsetting 11-ranked Duke by a 2-1 mark in Chapel Hill.

No matter what sport, it’s always a great day when UNC beats Duke.

There have been plenty of storied matchups in men’s basketball, most notably when the Tar Heels ended Coach K’s career with a big fat L, in the 2022 Final Four.

On Sunday, Sept. 24 in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heel men’s soccer team added a victory over Duke to its schedule. UNC outscored the Blue Devils in the first half, 2-1, then enjoyed a strong, defensive performance in a second-half shutout for its fourth victory of the 2023 campaign.

Duke took an initial lead not even halfway through the first half, when Forster Ajago tacked on his sixth goal of the year at the 11:24 mark. Andrew Czech tied it up moments later for the Tar Heels – collecting a cross at his feet, dribbling back outside the box and launching an insane shot into the top right corner of the net.

In the 32nd minute, Quenzi Huerman gave UNC the lead for good when he took advantage of a Blue Devils turnover. Huerman intercepted the failed pass, dribbled a little, then launched a shot off his left foot into the same location – top-right corner of the net – where Czech tied it up.

Carolina will next participate in its own version of Friday Night Lights, when it heads up to Pitt for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Friday, Sept. 29. After winning its first eight matchups against the Panthers, UNC has lost its last two.

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Late Seminoles goal spoils UNC comeback attempt

The top-ranked UNC women’s soccer nearly knocked off No. 3 Florida State on Sunday, Sept. 24. A late Seminoles goal forced a 3-3 tie.

The top-ranked UNC women’s soccer team was minutes away from knocking off a fellow ACC rival – third-ranked Florida State – on Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill.

Kate Faasse put home a beautiful cross from Ally Sentnor in the 86th minute, sending the Dorrance Field crowd into a frenzy. The Tar Heels ran towards each other in celebration, knowing very well they had a job to finish.

Pressure was on FSU to score, but also UNC to hold its slim lead with minutes to go.

Unfortunately, with seconds to go, the Seminoles’ Mimi Van Zanten shot a deflected Emmie Allen save into the top portion of the net for a 3-3 tie.

The Tar Heels should be proud of their effort, considering they trailed until Maddie Dahlien’s 77th-minute goal. They went head-to-head with an FSU team expected to contend for the ACC crown once again.

Sentnor started the Carolina scoring in the 42nd minute, netting her team-high fifth goal off a save from Seminoles keeper Cristina Roque.

Next up for the Tar Heels is a rivalry matchup with N.C. State on Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Wolfpack’s Dail Soccer Field. UNC downed their Raleigh rivals, 2-0, in Chapel Hill last year for its 400th home win.

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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.

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Maycee Bell named ACC Defensive Player of the Week

UNC women’s soccer player Maycee Bell won ACC Defensive Player of the Week, in large part for her role during the Heels’ 1-0 shutout of VT.

When your soccer team has only allowed four goals through nine games, defense and goalkeeping typically tend to be the main reasons for that.

Such is the case for the UNC women’s soccer team, which currently holds a 6-0-3 record entering its game on Thursday, Sept. 21 at ACC rival UVA.

The Heels are fresh off a defensive battle last Friday night, when a 66th minute Evelyn Shores goal was all they needed in a 1-0 defeat of Virginia Tech.

There is one Tar Heel in particular – redshirt senior Maycee Bell – who is being honored as part of the defensive brick wall UNC has created.

Earlier on Monday, Sept. 19, Bell was tabbed ACC Defensive Player of the Week.

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Bell won the POTW award for the fourth time – but first since 2020 – in her long collegiate career. She continues an impressive streak by her team, as UNC’s captured all but one ACC Defensive Player of the Week award in 2023.

Bell’s strong defensive skills have also helped the Tar Heels limit all nine opponents to 11 shots or fewer, including just one for Gardner-Webb on Thursday, Aug. 31. She’s also a reliable player, playing a full 90 minutes in seven of the Heels’ nine matches.

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