At the beginning of the season, the UNC men's soccer team looked poised to be successful, returning three of its top five goal scorers and having a number of promising additions — 12 first-years and six transfers — joining its ranks. After a disappointing second-round loss to New Hampshire last year in the NCAA Tournament, the Tar Heels were looking for redemption.
Instead, North Carolina has mustered a largely uninspired offensive performance that has propelled the Tar Heels to a 4-3-2 overall record and a 1-2-1 ACC record. After another disappointing loss to Clemson on Monday, it's clear that the offense is still struggling to find its footing.
Here's how UNC's offensive efforts stack up to those of previous years.
Goals scored
One of the defining factors of the 2022 team has been its consistently low game scores. Throughout the first nine games of the season, the Tar Heels have only been able to muster an average of .78 goals per game. UNC has been blanked in three matches this season and has scored just one goal in its last three games. In North Carolina's best effort of the year, its opening game against Air Force on Aug. 25, the Tar Heels registered just two goals.
Additionally, the 2022 roster has failed to produce clear offensive leaders. The team's only player with multiple goals is fifth-year midfielder and defender Milo Garvanian, who has three to his name — two of which have come from penalty goal attempts.
The 2021 UNC men's soccer team had a similar record through its first nine games (5-3-1, 1-2-0 ACC). However, in their first matchup, the Tar Heels put up a formidable score of 7-0 against Bucknell which set the tone for what would be a fairly high-scoring season, averaging around 1.7 goals per game.
In order to match the performances of the past, the Tar Heels will need to take more and higher percentage shots by adopting an aggressive and efficient approach to their offense.
