North Carolina heads to Pittsburgh on Friday night with plenty working in its favor, and plenty still to sort out against one of the ACC’s top teams.
The Tar Heels will face No. 7 Pitt at Ambrose Urbanic Field at 7 p.m. in a matchup that brings together two teams playing their best soccer right now.
UNC has won four in a row, while Pitt has gone unbeaten in its last six. That surge has Carolina sitting just outside the Top 25 as the top vote-getter outside the rankings, while the Panthers remain in the Top 10.
This will be the 13th meeting between the programs. North Carolina owns the edge in the series at 8-3-1.
UNC’s recent run has been powered by a handful of standout performances, none bigger than Joschi Schelb’s. The midfielder has been electric through the first 11 matches, piling up 12 goals and two assists.
He buried a hat trick against Notre Dame and has scored five times over his last two games. Those numbers have him leading the ACC in goals and points per game at 2.36, while ranking second nationally in both categories.
Ryan Zellefrow has also stepped into a major role. He is second on the team in points with 12, coming from four goals and four assists. Three of those goals and all four of his assists have come over the last four matches, highlighted by a huge two-goal, three-assist outing against Notre Dame.
Luca Nikolai, who was drafted by NYCFC, chose to return to Carolina to wrap up his college career, and he has added 11 points with three goals and five assists. He ranks third on the team in scoring.
Head coach Carlos Somoano is in his 16th season leading Carolina and his 25th overall. He enters the match with a career record of 191-70-58.
Carolina’s roster talent has been recognized beyond the field as well. The Tar Heels’ transfer class of Nick Lockermann, Nico Loebus, Joschi Schelb and Ryan Zellefrow was ranked No. 2 by TopDrawerSoccer, while the incoming freshman class checked in at No.
- UNC also had six players named to preseason Hermann Trophy Watch Lists: Lockermann, Evans Dapaah, Loebus, Nikolai, Schelb and Zellefrow.
Schelb later earned a spot on the awards’ midseason watch list after his dominant start.
Fans can watch the match on ACCNX with Zack Gibney and DAvid Day on the call.
In Other News...
UNC Opens Duke Week With A Roster Concern Fans Will Watch
Duke week opened with an early reminder that the injury report can shape the rivalry long before kickoff. The Atlantic Coast Conference released its initial availability report for the weekend slate, and North Carolina showed up with several names to monitor, including Kaleb Cost, Greg Smith, Isaiah Johnson, Jordan Hall and Jordan Washington, all listed either doubtful or questionable.
Duke also has a notable concern of its own, with star running back Nate Sheppard listed as questionable, but the focus in Chapel Hill will be on how UNCs report evolves from here. The ACC will update the injury list daily leading into game day, which means this matchup could look different by the time the teams finally meet. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Heads To Duke With A Defensive Problem It Can't Hide
North Carolina heads to Duke still trying to make sense of a defense that has too often put the offense back on the field. The Tar Heels have struggled on third down, and the issues have only grown more complicated with injuries thinning out the secondary. Against a Duke team that wants to lean on the ground game, UNC is walking into a matchup that will test both its communication and its ability to stay in control of long drives.
Nate Sheppard gives Duke a rushing threat that can expose missed assignments and worn-down personnel, which puts even more pressure on North Carolina to clean up the details. The Tar Heels do not just need better tackling, they need better timing, better down-and-distance situations and a defense that can survive without being stretched snap after snap. If UNC cannot solve those problems quickly, the Blue Devils have a clear path to make this rivalry tilt in their favor. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Fans Finally Get The Kenan Stadium Atmosphere They Wanted
For Tar Heels fans who have been waiting for a true night-game feel at Kenan Stadium, the ACC finally delivered one. North Carolinas Oct. 24 matchup with Syracuse will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network, giving UNC its first Saturday night home game of the season and adding a little extra juice to a stretch that already carries plenty of weight.
The timing matters, too, with UNC sitting 3-2 overall and 1-1 in ACC play as it heads into a run that includes Duke, Syracuse and Miami. The Syracuse game will also be labeled Family Football Day, but the bigger draw may be the atmosphere itself, with Tar Heels supporters finally getting the kind of prime-time setting they have been hoping to see in Chapel Hill. [Read more 🡒]