CARY — The No. 4 North Carolina men’s soccer team faced its toughest challenge of the season against No. 2 Wake Forest on Friday night. Following a tough back-and-forth affair throughout the game, the Tar Heels (11-2, 4-1 ACC) eventually tired out in the second half as the Demon Deacons (11-1-0, 5-0 ACC) escaped WakeMed Soccer Park with a 2-1 victory.
What happened?
This game was intense from the very beginning. The two sides were evenly matched for the most part, until Wake Forest midfielder Omir Fernandez broke the tie by penetrating through UNC’s backline of defenders, drilling the ball into the left side of net. This 39th-minute goal gave the Demon Deacons the 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
Shortly after intermission, the Tar Heels promptly responded with a goal of their own as midfielder Cam Lindley provided the 47th-minute equalizer, scoring off a free kick near the top of the penalty box.
The match continued move at a fast pace, with each team looking to find ways to get the advantage over the other. This advantage would occur later in the 66th minute as Wake Forest forward Jon Bakero would score off a one-touch volley following a cross that entered the middle of the box, giving the Demon Deacons a 2-1 edge.
The Tar Heels would not give up without a fight. UNC’s biggest chances to extend the game were in the 77th minute, where forward Alan Winn’s strike went wide right out of frame, and the 86th minute, when forward Jelani Pieters could not finish his last-minute shot from the center of the penalty box.
Having played seven games in the span of the last three weeks, UNC ran out of gas at the end. The Demon Deacons controlled the majority of possession in the second half. They outnumbered the Tar Heels 15 to 10 in shots, 5 to 1 in shots on goal, and 10 to 3 in corner kicks.
While the battle to stay in the match was commendable, the Tar Heels’ last-minute opportunities were not enough to save the game from defeat.