UNC men's soccer finally fights back in NCAA Tournament win over Florida Gulf Coast

The 2016 North Carolina men’s soccer team has never lacked talent. But it has lacked toughness.

The Tar Heels have always been able to play from ahead, but they have folded when they’ve needed to come back. In its losses, North Carolina (12-3-3) presses when down a goal, often playing in a state of shock while dwelling on what happened before.

But there was no time to dwell Sunday night when the Tar Heels trailed Florida Gulf Coast (14-4-3) 2-1 with just under 19 minutes remaining in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fetzer Field.

After UNC tied the game in regulation, redshirt senior forward Tucker Hume scored the golden goal in double overtime with a header to the near post off Nico Melo’s cross. As Hume ripped his shirt off and dove to the ground in celebration following the 3-2 victory, a weight was lifted off the entire team.

It didn’t matter that the best defense in men’s collegiate soccer committed a cardinal sin in the 72nd minute when it fouled the Eagles in the box when they were a man down, resulting in a penalty kick that put Florida Gulf Coast up 2-1.

This was a different team — a composed team.

“I think that’s part of the team’s evolution this year,” Head Coach Carlos Somoano said. “We haven’t kept our composure well and that’s one of the things that’s plagued us.”

“It’s been something we’ve been talking about all year long, that it does no good to think about anything besides the immediate needs and objectives in the game.”

After falling behind in games against Virginia and Boston College, North Carolina had plenty of opportunities to fight back. But the Tar Heels could never find a rhythm, halting any hopes of a comeback attempt.

But with their backs against the wall in an elimination game, they had no choice but to fight.

With less than five minutes remaining and still down a goal, North Carolina continued to patiently attack. There were no one-man heroics or prayer shots from well outside the box.

After Alan Winn and Melo played a nice two-man game, Winn had a run on the end line. He could have fired a low-percentage shot from a bad angle, but he instead delivered a pinpoint pass to forward Nils Bruening, who beat Florida Gulf Coast goalkeeper Jared Brown to give the Tar Heels the equalizer.

Even though UNC was minutes away from a premature season-ending loss, the team remained confident in the face of adversity.

“Obviously them getting up 2-1, we knew we were still in the game,” Hume said. “We talked about staying calm whether we go down a goal or whether we go up a goal.”

“We had chances, so I knew that with enough time we were going to be able to get the equalizer and eventually get the win.”

Following North Carolina’s stunning 1-0 loss to Boston College in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, the team had two weeks to find out what it was before it began play in the NCAA Tournament. As crushing as the loss was, it gave the team time to do some soul-searching.

“We would have liked to have won the ACC Tournament,” Melo said. “But I think that it was important for us to get our heads right because we wouldn’t be in the mental state we’re in now.”

The Tar Heels have always had the talent. But now, they could have the toughness to match.

@david_adler94

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