The No. 8 North Carolina men's soccer team kicked off its 2016 season with a 3-0 win over Cal Poly at Fetzer Field on Friday night.
The Tar Heels jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, dominating the Mustangs for their first win of the year.
What happened?
North Carolina struck fast in Friday night’s season opener, as the familiar foot of junior Alan Winn chipped a close range shot into the back of the net within the first 10 minutes of the match. Winn was the team's runner-up in goals scored a season ago, behind fellow Texas native Tucker Hume. Not to be outdone, Hume added a goal of his own with seven minutes left in the first half.
Behind a large and loud crowd, the Tar Heels ran away with the game. The first 300 fans in attendance were handed Carolina blue Vuvuzelas, which led to a festive atmosphere inside Fetzer Field.
Cal Poly got its best two looks at goal in the second half, with a one-on-one shot being tipped just wide of the goal post by UNC keeper James Pyle, and another free kick careening off of the crossbar. That was as close as the Mustangs got to putting pressure on the Tar Heels, who flourished in the season opener with a 3-0 victory.
Who stood out?
Nils Bruening, a redshirt first-year from Hamburg, Germany, got the start at forward in his first game for the Tar Heels. He didn’t seem to be beset by any first game jitters, however, as he confidently went on the attack and tallied a shot in just the second minute of the game.
He joined first-years Cam Lindley and Mauricio Pineda in the starting lineup as first timers for North Carolina. Lindley and Pineda are a part of UNC's top-ranked recruiting class.
