UNC to face JMU, defend perfect record

Heading into its fifth game of the season, the No. 1 North Carolina men’s soccer team has finally made a break with the legacy of last year’s national championship squad.

“We’re starting to form our own identity now,” coach Carlos Somoano said. “Andy Craven and Martin Murphy are playing up top for us, and they’re different players than Billy Schuler and Rob Lovejoy. We try to highlight their strengths within the same principles of what we’ve always tried to do.”

The 2012 team will attempt to further its own aspirations and defend a spotless 4-0-0 record tonight against James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va.

Sophomore Mikey Lopez is the only returning goal-scorer from last year’s 4-1 defeat of the Dukes.

Though JMU is just 1-2-1 this season, Somoano isn’t discounting the team. The Dukes return key players from a team that advanced to the second round of the 2011 NCAA tournament.

“I’ve known coach (Tom) Martin for quite a long time,” Somoano said. “He’s a great guy. They called and asked if they could get on the schedule a couple of years ago, and we thought it would be a great idea. We’re looking forward to the challenge of playing them on their home field on Tuesday.”

UNC has also faced the more persistent challenge of quickly integrating new faces into high-profile positions.

Andy Craven, a creative forward who transferred from College of Charleston over the summer, has been pushed to the front line immediately.

“We really try to embrace transfers and make them feel a part of the program quickly,” Somoano said. “We try to look at the qualities they do have and not get frustrated that they don’t understand exactly what we’re looking for right away.”

But Craven’s arrival has been a successful exercise in quickly teaching an older dog new tricks. He’s already contributed two goals and two assists in UNC’s first four matches.

“It’s a lot different, but it’s definitely a change for the better,” Craven said. “It’s a formation with three forwards, or even two forwards, at times. It changes depending on the situation. We try to put as much pressure on as we can and keep the ball as much as we can.”

Improving that pressure will be a focal point of tonight’s game. Somoano said he’d like to see his team control and win back more balls than it has in previous outings.

“Something we can do a better job of doing is staying more disciplined for the whole 90 minutes, instead of just 45 or 50,” senior captain Jordan Gafa said.

That type of mental conditioning can be just as important to a team’s success as its ability to run.

“Practices aren’t just physically tiring, they’re mentally tiring,” Craven said. “You try to think at all times where you need to be on the field positionally, so you don’t have to use all your energy to run and cover ground to be at the right spot in the right time.”

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