Tar Heels Edge Orange in NCAA Third Round

Sunday, November 27

Murphy Field (OCC)

2 pm

Syracuse University

12-4-4

North Carolina

13-3-3

North Carolina

Syracuse

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

11/27/2016 6:36:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse's 2016 season came to an end in a 1-0 loss to North Carolina in the third round of the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 27. The Tar Heels scored in the 32nd minute for the only goal of the game. The Orange ends the season with a 12-4-4 record.

"It was two of the elite defensive teams on display today," Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre said. "These have been tight affairs the last few years."

Sophomore goalkeeper Hendrik Hilpert made a career-high eight saves, including five in the first half. He was tested early when Jack Skahan got off a shot in the box. Hilpert made the save, but the deflection went right to Alan Winn, who fired another shot, which Hilpert stopped to keep North Carolina off the scoreboard.

Syracuse's best scoring chance of the game came in the 14th minute when senior Sergio Camargo played a through ball to freshman Johannes Pieles. Pieles split a pair of North Carolina defenders and put his shot on goal, but Tar Heels' goalkeeper James Pyle got his foot on the shot to deflect it away. Hilpert came up big again in the 22nd minute when he made back-to-back saves on two Tar Heels' shots to keep the game tied at 0-0.

North Carolina (13-3-3) broke through in the 32nd minute. Cam Lindley played the ball forward to Jeremy Kelly, who took the ball down the left side. He carried the ball across the box and put his shot from the right side into the back of the net to give the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead. It was the first goal the Orange had allowed in more than 163 minutes of play, dating back to the second half against Clemson in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

Syracuse, the No. 8 seed in the tournament, successfully defended against a North Carolina corner and Hilpert made his fifth save of the game in the 38th minute to keep the Orange within one at intermission.

Senior Chris Nanco had the first scoring chance of the second half for Syracuse off a corner kick. Off the service into the box, the ball was played out to Nanco, who ripped a shot from 25 yards out that went just wide. Hilpert made three more saves in the second half to keep the Orange close, but Syracuse couldn't get any of its shots on goal as the ninth-seeded Tar Heels recorded the victory.

"In these tournament games, you see the clock ticking down, I think you can get a little bit desperate," McIntyre said. "We probably lacked a little bit of quality in the second half on that final ball."

The game was the final match for Syracuse's seniors, who are the most successful class in program history. The group led the Orange to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time as well Syracuse's first ACC Championship, No. 1 ranking and College Cup appearance.

"I challenge this group, as we do with each of our players, to leave the program in a better place than you found it," McIntyre said. "This senior class has left the Syracuse program in a better place than they found it. And there are no shortcuts. That's through hard work, that's commitment. It's been a privilege to work with this senior class. This is a special group of young men who take great pride in representing this program and this University."