Men's soccer team's season ends in penalties

The line between agony and ecstasy, between victory and defeat, is razor thin.

The North Carolina men’s soccer team found this out first hand on Saturday, toeing the line for the game’s latter 90 minutes before eventually falling to No. 2 seed UCLA in penalty kicks, 3-3 (7-6).

Things looked promising for the Tar Heels from the outset, but a short time later, one line-shifting moment set the tone for the rest of the night.

In the 20^th minute, the Tar Heels cleared the ball from their own box after a UCLA attacking chance. The ball then found the chest of junior midfielder Alex Olofson, who tried to control it to start a counter-attack. But Olofson chested it a touch too far in front of him, and with UCLA’s Grady Howe running to collect the ball, he slid in to try to keep the attack going.

The tackle was slightly late, and as Olofson’s foot collided with Howe’s ankle, it seemed likely that the referee would issue a yellow card.

But instead of reaching for the yellow, he moved for the card in his chest pocket.

Red.

The Tar Heels would have to play the last 70 minutes a man down, but redshirt senior forward Andy Craven, the team’s leading scorer, said that when adversity struck, he and his teammates never wavered.

“We had to stay level-headed,” he said. “We stood next to one another and we wanted to prove that we were ready.”

The next twenty minutes led to several chances for UCLA, who with a man advantage found itself in the attacking third more times than not. But as the first half winded down, it seemed like the Tar Heels would go in level, and would get the chance to change its tactics at halftime. 

Then came another shift.

In the 40^th minute, freshman Alan Winn was fouled by a UCLA defender a little over twenty yards away from goal, setting up an opportunity for Omar Holness to make something happen before halftime.

The sophomore stepped towards the ball, and unleashed a low, driving shot to the left of the wall and past the glove of the Bruin goalkeeper. The Tar Heels would enter halftime with a one-goal advantage, but as the second half opened, it was clear that the Bruins wouldn’t be left off of the scoreboard for long.

In the 58^th minute, UCLA’s Leo Stolz’s free kick careened off the crossbar, and as the half continued, it was clear that the UNC defense wouldn’t be able to hold much longer.

“They brought the kitchen sink,” coach Carlos Somoano said. “We could have defended a little bit higher but it’s exhausting to do. We had to put in the bend, don’t break mentality.”

But the break eventually occurred in the 69^th minute, and then the 70^th, and then the 75^th.

Three goals in six minutes. And just like that, the Tar Heels looked like they would remain on the losing side of the line.

But once again, a shift.

Three and a half minutes after UCLA pushed the score to 3-1, UNC set up for a corner kick on the other end. The ball sailed in, and after a scramble in the box, senior Tyler Engel put a foot on it and pushed it into the back of the net. 3-2.

Just 24 seconds later, Craven received the ball from Raby George on a run in the box and smashed it home over the head of the UCLA keeper. 3-3.

10 minutes. 5 goals between the two teams. The Tar Heels weren’t just toeing the line, they were jumping rope with it.

“We played our hearts out, and we played for each other,” said Boyd Okwuonu, a senior defender. “We weren’t going to go down without a fight.”

The final 12 minutes of regular time went on without much drama, as did the two extra time periods, setting up a penalty-kick finish for the final spot in the Men's College Cup. 

UNC goalie Brendan Moore saved the first UCLA kick, giving UNC an advantage out of the gate. And after four makes by each side, senior Glen Long, who had played just 42 minutes all season, stepped up with an opportunity to end the game.

His shot was saved, and after three more UCLA makes to UNC's two, Warren Marshall stepped up to avoid defeat. But his shot was stopped as well, and after a roller coaster type of game, the Tar Heels flew back to North Carolina, but will not be heading to Cary for the Men's College Cup. 

Somoano had the responsibility of comforting the team afterwards. Asked what he told the team, Somoano said that there wasn’t much he could say.

“I told them that we came to a pass, and it was tough for me too,” he said. “But it is one of my prouder moments as a coach coaching these guys and seeing what they put in.”

“One day we’ll look back on this with pride instead of pain, but that will not be today.”

sports@dailytarheel.com