UNC outlasts Charlotte in penalty kicks in NCAA men’s soccer tournament second round
The UNC men’s soccer team huddled up together. After 90 minutes of regulation and two overtime periods in the hot sun at WakeMed Soccer Park on Sunday, the team was exhausted. And yet, the game still wasn’t over. Even after 110 minutes of grueling physical play in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the No. 15 Tar Heels and the No. 12 Charlotte 49ers were level at 1-1.
In a game that was characterized by big saves from each goalkeeper, it was only fitting that the match would go to the shootout to determine the winner — keeper against keeper. The teams broke from their huddles and lined up for the final push of the match.
When UNC senior forward Santiago Herrera’s made shot was followed by another good goal from Charlotte’s Sean Suber, it seemed like the shootout would follow the same trend of the two teams staying neck-and-neck. But UNC goalkeeper Alec Smir had other ideas.
“As a goalkeeper, I just kind of see it as, you can’t lose,” Smir said. “You’re either the hero or not.”
After a successful attempt by UNC senior forward Alex Rose, UNC’s junior goalkeeper blocked attempt after attempt until freshman Ernest Bawa sealed the win for the Tar Heels on the seventh shootout shot.
The bench cleared and it was Smir at the center of the congratulations.
“Smir played amazing,” freshman striker Akeim Clarke said. “He’s done it again. Throughout the whole season, he’s been the unsung hero. Time and time again, he bails us out. It’s nothing new.”
But before Smir could clinch his team a spot in the NCAA third round against Sanford slated for Thursday, the Tar Heels and 49ers swapped dangerous chances and big saves time and time again. The Tar Heels had talked all week about how they needed to dig deep and find their intensity, focus, and most importantly, grit.
But after a scoreless first half, head coach Carlos Somoano went to remind his team about the physical intensity he expected from them going forward.
“Coach let us know during halftime that we have to show that we want it more,” Clarke said. “(Coach) said today is not the day our tournament run is going to end. Give it all you got. And that definitely fired us up for the second half.”
Clarke took the message to heart.
With just over 21 minutes left in the second half, Clarke charged the net, going one-on-one with Charlotte keeper Austin Mullins. He kicked the ball with the vigor of a player desperately wanting his first goal of the season. It sailed just high of the net.
“It wasn’t my best moment,” Clarke said. “I’ve been waiting to score all year and I guess that first opportunity I had I just let it get the best of me. I wasn’t composed. To be honest, I was so upset with myself because I thought that was it; that was my chance to put the team ahead.”
A mere five minutes later, Clarke channeled that frustration, that dissatisfaction into a thunderous kick off a feed from junior midfielder Milo Garvanian to stuff the ball for his first goal as a college athlete.
“(Akeim) is an impact right off the bench, a really serious physical player,” Somoano said. “I think everyone can see that he made a really massive impact today.”
Charlotte tied the game with just over five minutes left in regulation, but it wasn’t enough.
The Tar Heels, who came into this game with the mantra of being fiercely competitive and gritty, out-defended the dangerous chances and limited Charlotte to just six shots, only two of which were on goal, while also outshooting the 49ers 16-6 over 110 minutes of play. Now, the Tar Heels will look to regroup and refocus for the next step in their tournament run, seeing Stanford’s match on Thursday as just another obstacle in their way for a NCAA title.
“We’ve worked so hard throughout this whole year, throughout COVID, and I’m just so proud of these guys,” Smir said. “It’s only the second round. We’re not done yet and we’ve got a long way to go.”
This story was originally published May 3, 2021 at 6:45 AM.