In the 58th minute, North Carolina freshman Danny Garcia sent a cross to redshirt senior Martin Murphy for a one-timer that would be the only goal in a 1-0 victory for the top-ranked Tar Heels against West Virginia on Friday night at Fetzer Field.
Murphy didn’t think that Garcia had spotted him in between two defenders in front of the goal, but Garcia found Murphy and chipped the cross right where it needed to be.
“I just picked my head up and I saw that he saw me, and he chipped the ball in and I made a run in front of the defender,” Murphy said. “It was an absolutely perfect ball from Danny, and I just slotted it.”
After scoring in the third minute of its first game last week against Gardner-Webb, UNC got off to a much slower start against West Virginia.
Redshirt senior Cameron Brown took the Tar Heels’ first shot in the 39th minute when he drove a loose ball toward the goal before it was blocked by a WVU defender.
The Mountaineers had two shots in the first half, and UNC senior goalkeeper Scott Goodwin recorded his first save of the season. Both teams finished the game with five shots.
North Carolina had a scare late in the second half when the ball got behind goalkeeper Goodwin at the top of the box, but defender Boyd Okwuonu controlled the ball, clearing it out of danger.
Coach Carlos Somoano said it was the type of in-between ball that causes goalkeepers to debate whether to pick the ball up or clear it.
“I think he paused and hesitated, and once he hesitated it stuck under his foot,” Somoano said. “That’s why (Okwuonu) is there to make up for any mistakes that Scott makes, and that’s why Scott is there to make up for any mistakes that (Okwuonu) makes. That’s what makes us a great team.”
