Aug. 27, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Sophomore Garry Lewis scored in the 10th minute as the No. 1 North Carolina men's soccer team (2-0) handed UCF (0-2) a 1-0 loss in the Wake Forest Invitational at Spry Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
"I am very proud of the way the guys came out and played today. On Friday night, we showed our youth starting so many young players, who showed some nerves and apprehension," said UCF head coach Brent Erwin. "To come out today and play well very satisfying for us."
While both teams pressured the ball early in the match, the Tar Heels scored first on a corner kick. Although the ball looked to be cleared off the line by UCF freshman Akin Akinrinade, the officials ruled it a goal by Lewis with assists to Michael Callahan and Michael Harrington.
Heading into the intermission, UNC held a 7-2 favor in shots and a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks. In the second half, the Golden Knights found more opportunities, beating North Carolina by a 5-3 margin in shots and a 2-1 margin in corner kicks.
"We had opportunities today to score and unfortunately we gave up one early in the game. That did not take away from the fact that our team played with everything they have," said Erwin. "For us to be able to go toe-to-toe with the top-ranked team in the country shows us what we can become. One-goal games can go either way. Losing is not okay, but this is more of a representation of what we are."
UNC finished the match with a 10-7 advantage in shots. UCF sophomore goalkeeper Marcus Rein made five saves, while his Tar Heel counterpart Justin Hughes had two.
Akinrinade and sophomore Jake Howard were among those players named to the all-tournament team.
Next up, the Golden Knights visit Charleston, S.C. for the Aaron Olitzky Memorial Classic, where they take on host College of Charleston on Friday at 7 p.m. and UNC-Wilmington on Sunday at noon.