North Carolina men’s soccer heads north on Saturday looking to keep its momentum rolling when it visits Boston College in Newton, Mass. The Heels arrive at 4-2-3 and have won two straight, while the Eagles sit at 5-2-2.
The match is set for 3 p.m. at Newton Campus Soccer Field, and fans can watch on ACCNX.
This will be the 21st meeting between Carolina and Boston College, with UNC carrying a 13-5-2 advantage in the series.
Head coach Carlos Somoano is in his 16th season leading the Tar Heels and his 25th overall. He owns a career record of 189-70-58.
Carolina’s roster has plenty of recognition behind it this season. The transfer group 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. 14.
Schelb earned a spot on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List after scoring in seven of UNC’s nine games, including one goal in each of the last four. Luca Nikolai, who was drafted by NYCFC, chose to return to Carolina to finish his college career leading the Tar Heels. He has two penalty goals and an assist this season.
UNC also had six players on Hermann Trophy Watch Lists. Lockermann was included among the defenders, while Evans Dapaah, Loebus, Nikolai, Schelb and Zellefrow were all listed among the midfielders, though Schelb will play forward this season.
In goal, Alan Rutkowski has stepped into the starting role after four years with Andrew Cordes. The Elmwood, N.J. native backed up Cordes last season after playing club soccer with the New York Red Bulls.
In Other News...
UNC Suddenly Has A Billy Edwards Problem It Cant Ignore
The night at Notre Dame laid bare a few issues North Carolina can no longer treat as one-off problems. Billy Edwards was under constant pressure, the Tar Heels struggled to protect him, and early turnovers helped tilt the game before it ever settled in. With the rushing attack limited and the defense stretched, it was the kind of performance that can leave a coach sorting through more than one concern at once.
Bill Belichick pointed straight at the passing game and the offensive line afterward, and it was hard to argue with the diagnosis. The Tar Heels need cleaner pockets and a steadier start from their quarterback, but they also need the offense to give the defense some help after a night when both sides were exposed. What happened against a top-three opponent may end up looking less like a bad loss than a warning about what still has to be fixed. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Just Changed The Season Debate In A Way Fans Noticed
North Carolinas loss to Notre Dame still left room for a different kind of takeaway. The Tar Heels were beaten 37-26, but for long stretches they were more competitive with the third-ranked Irish than many expected, giving the game a very different feel than a routine blowout against a top-tier opponent.
For a team trying to steady its season, that matters. Even with the mistakes that surfaced along the way, this was the kind of showing that can change how the rest of the schedule is viewed, with the conversation shifting toward whether Carolina can still get to .500 and keep a bowl bid in reach. [Read more 🡒]
North Carolina Just Lost A Recruiting Battle Fans Were Watching
Jordan Page made his choice after taking official visits to both North Carolina and UConn, and the five-star wing has now given the edge to the Huskies. The 6-foot-5 standout from IMG Academy is ranked No. 10 overall in the 2027 class, which made this one of the more closely watched recruiting battles for Tar Heels fans looking to see how the program stacked up against another national power for an elite perimeter talent.
For North Carolina, the miss lands with extra weight because Page brings the kind of length and two-way profile that fits the modern game and would have been an appealing addition on the wing. The scouting read on him points to a player whose competitiveness meshes well with UConn's style, even as his offensive game still has room to grow, and that combination helped shape a recruitment the Tar Heels were in until the end. [Read more 🡒]