#16 Wildcats Defeat North Carolina 4-1 in NCAA Second Round at Wildcat Stadium

Sunday, November 21

Durham, N.H.

2 PM

University of New Hampshire

North Carolina

The Wildcats are going to the Round of 16 for the second time in program history (Photo by China Wong)

Photo by: China Wong

#16 Wildcats Defeat North Carolina 4-1 in NCAA Second Round at Wildcat Stadium

11/21/2021 6:01:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

The Wildcats advance to the Round of 16 for the second time in program history.

DURHAM, N.H. – Four different Wildcats found the back of the net, including junior Rory O'Driscoll (Minneapolis, Minn.) who scored the game-winning goal for the Wildcats as the No. 16 seed University of New Hampshire men's soccer team defeated North Carolina 4-1 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday afternoon in front of 3,264 fans at Wildcat Stadium.

With the win, the Wildcats advance to the Round of 16 and will play at No. 1 seed Oregon State on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 9 PM (ET). UNH is heading to the Round of 16 for the second time in program history. The previous time was 2017 when the Wildcats fell to No. 2 Indiana, 2-1.

UNH improves to 17-1-2 overall, while the Tar Heels conclude their season with a record of 11-7-2.

Score: #16 New Hampshire 4, North Carolina 1
Records: UNH (17-1-2), UNC (11-7-2)
Location: Durham, N.H. (Wildcat Stadium)
Date: Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Attendance: 3,264

BOXSCORE | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | UNH PRESS CONFERENCE
PHOTO GALLERY

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute (22:33) as graduate student Bridger Hansen (Cottonwood Heights, Utah) bicycle kicked the ball into the bottom right corner of the net with assists from graduate student Victor Menudier (Limoges, France) and senior Chris Pinkham (Concord, N.H.).
North Carolina quickly answered and tied the game 1-1 in the 24th minute (23:56) when Tim Schels fired a shot from 15 yards out into the top left corner of the goal after a pass from Jonathan Jimenez.
O'Driscoll scored for UNH in the 37th minute (36:53) as he headed the ball cross net just out of Alec Smir's reach and into the bottom left corner of the goal with assists from senior Tola Showunmi (Enfield, England) and graduate student Johann von Knebel (Hamburg, Germany).
UNH extended its lead over North Carolina to 3-1 in the 40th minute (39:59) as graduate student Jacob Gould (Exeter, N.H.) knocked the ball into the back of net after receiving a pass from Pinkham. Junior Bilal Kamal (London, England) also had an assist.
The Wildcats continued to dominate in the first half as von Knebel went on a breakaway and found the back of the net in the 45th minute (44:54) with an assist from graduate student Adam Savill (Manchester, England).
Neither team scored in the second half for the 4-1 final.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

New Hampshire outshot North Carolina, 11-8, while the 'Cats posted seven shots on goal and the Tar Heels took three.
Both teams each attempted three corner kicks.
Junior goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) saved two shots for the 'Cats to improve to 17-1-2 on the season, while Smir saved three for UNC.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

The Wildcats are 9-1-2 at home this season as they have scored 31 goals and have only allowed six. UNH is 43-2-7 all-time at Wildcat Stadium, outscoring the opposition, 109-19.
UNH is 3-1-0 all-time at Wildcat Stadium in the NCAA Tournament. All three previous games were played in the First Round.
O'Driscoll recorded his seventh goal of the season, Hansen scored his third, Gould and von Knebel posted their fourth.
This is UNH's sixth NCAA Tournament appearance and fifth straight.
This was the second ever meeting between the teams as UNC won 3-0 in 2003 at the Smith Barney Soccer Classic in Burlington, Vt.
The Wildcats have 11 shutouts and have outscored the opposition this season, 47-8.
UNH's .900 winning percentage and 17 wins for the Wildcats are both the best in program history.