No. 8 UNC men's soccer defeats Saint Louis, 3-0, for its second straight shutout victory

The No. 8 North Carolina men's soccer team defeated Saint Louis, 3-0, on Sunday night at Fetzer Field. With the win, the Tar Heels moved to 2-0 on the season while holding their opponent scoreless for the second game in a row.

What happened?

Coming into the game, UNC (2-0) was on high alert. Saint Louis (1-1) was coming off a 1-0 road upset win over No. 5 Wake Forest on Friday night, and the Tar Heels were the next team the Billikens had in their crosshairs.

But the Tar Heels got the message loud and clear — building a comfortable first half lead over the Saint Louis that they wouldn’t relinquish.

In the 17th minute, UNC redshirt first-year Nils Bruening headed a pass from first-year Cam Lindley into the hands of the Saint Louis goalkeeper. But Bruening collected his own rebound, pounding in his first collegiate goal with a left-footed strike. Five minutes later, junior forward Zach Wright took a ball off a pass from Lindley and outran the keeper to net the Tar Heels’ second goal. 

UNC keeper James Pyle wasn't threatened at the net for the second time this weekend, as the Tar Heels have yet to allow a first-half shot attempt this season.

A corner kick by redshirt senior Nico Melo led to a third goal early in the second half, as first year Mauricio Pineda bounced the ball off the side of his leg and into the goal.

The Tar Heels were in the driver's seat for the remainder of the game, controlling the ball in a game where they outshot their opponent 21-0 en route to a 3-0 victory.

Who stood out?

The young players on the team got a chance to shine in Sunday’s comfortable victory. 

When good things were happening for the Tar Heels, Lindley never seemed to be far from the play in the first half. The nation's top recruit has been living up to the hype so far this season, sending balls into the box for his teammates to finish —including the ball that led to Wright's goal. 

Bruening has also been impressive through his first two games, netting his first collegiate goal to get North Carolina on the board in the first half. He was joined by Pineda, who also scored his first goal in a Tar Heel jersey.

When was it decided?

Coming out of the locker room for the second half, the Tar Heels quickly got on the offensive, controlling the tempo of the game for the remainder of the night. If the Billikens had any hope to challenge a tough North Carolina team, it disappeared when they came out flat to start the second half.

Why does it matter?

The Tar Heels came into the season with a paradoxical situation: They're the favorites to win the ACC, but they start the year ranked behind ACC-rival Wake Forest. After the Demon Deacons fell prey to the Billikens on Friday, Sunday’s game was UNC's opportunity to show it's taking note of Wake Forest — and making sure it doesn't make the same mistakes.

The team proved that fiercely on Sunday with a convincing rout of Saint Louis. The Tar Heels never had to worry as they backed up their ACC favorite status with their second win of the season.

Where do they play next?

The Tar Heels are back in action at 7:30 on Friday as they take on N.C. State at Fetzer Field. 

@James_Tatter

sports@dailytarheel.com