Tar Heels' dominance attributed to outshooting opponents

The North Carolina men’s soccer team has outscored opponents 24-4 this season, a feat which would not be possible without the Tar Heels outshooting their opponents.

In Tuesday’s match against Campbell, UNC put up the highest shot total of the season.

The Tar Heels took 22 shots in their 3-0 shutout of the Camels.

“If you look back to our other games, there’s not nearly as many shots,” junior forward Andy Craven said. “We haven’t had twenty shots in a game this whole season, so it’s a direct reflection of getting us to work as hard as we can on defense.”

Craven’s goal in the 19th minute, UNC’s first, marked the team’s second shot of the night. But throughout the game, Craven added four more shots to the team’s tally.

Junior forward Rob Lovejoy took UNC’s third shot three minutes after Craven’s goal, just before Campbell answered with three shots in four minutes.

Those three shots were the only shots the Tar Heel defense allowed Campbell in the entire game.

“With the pressure, we were able to actually take one touch or two touches and be able to get some shots, and shots on goal with that,” freshman midfielder Danny Garcia said.

UNC took control of the game after Campbell’s short rally and added eight more shots in the first half, including a goal from senior midfielder Martin Murphy.

“I think the forwards start that high pressure we need for shots, and the guys were working really hard to do that,” he said. “Then (coach) put me and Cameron (Brown) in and we worked really hard to keep that pressure going.”

The Tar Heels fired 11 first-half shots, and then mirrored that output by adding 11 more shots in the second half.

“I think today we did an even better job of pressing in the front six, closing down a little bit harder and that makes it even more effective,” coach Carlos Somoano said.

“Offensively we’re better because we press more. I think when we’re more aggressive initiating the press it leads into our attack, those go together, so I’m very pleased that we’re able to do that. I’m pleased even more so that we got a reward offensively for it.”

In addition to Craven’s six shots, Garcia added five and Murphy, three.

Brown, Lovejoy and sophomore midfielder Mikey Lopez shot two each, while defender Jordan McCrary and midfielder Verneri Valimaa each had one.

“We’ve gotten significantly better at holding onto the ball and knocking it around,” Somoano said.

“It’s because we had so many new players on the field this year in the midfield position, in the front six, and they just needed to be given a little bit of time to figure it out and go about it,” he said.

“We’re seeing shooting improve significantly.”

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