Share
CHAPEL HILL North Carolina is just one win away from returning to the soccer's College Cup for the second straight year - but it took the slimmest of margins to do so.
Forward Alex Dixon scored the game's only goal with 18 minutes remaining in the first half, and that was all that was needed for the No. 4 Tar Heels (15-2-3) to defeat Indiana (11-10-2) 1-0 on Sunday afternoon at Fetzer Field.
"This wasn't our most beautiful performance, for sure," North Carolina head coach Elmar Bolowich said. "Next Friday we need to see a different fire and spirit to advance."
North Carolina will host Drake, which defeated Boston College 6-4 behind Luke Gorczyca's two goals, at 6 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals.
The contest Sunday was a game of equal opportunities, as the teams' scoring opportunities were nearly the same. Though the Tar Heels had a 14-9 advantage in shots over the Hoosiers, many of them never had a chance of coming within a few yards of the goal, let alone getting past the goalkeeper.
The difference came in what each team did with its opportunities. Indiana missed several headers from just feet away from the net and let several corner kicks sail over open forwards.
North Carolina made good on only one chance, but it was the difference in a game otherwise filled with "what ifs."
Elsewhere
Maryland visits Virginia in the quarterfinals Friday at 7 p.m. for a spot in the College Cup.
Maryland (15-5-2) defeated No 10 seed Harvard 2-0. Goaltender Zac MacMath made five critical saves for the Terrapins.
No. 2 seed Virginia beat Portland 1-0 on a goal by Ari Dimas in the 46th minute. The Cavs (16-3-3) shut out their tenth straight opponent.
Top-seeded Akron (21-0-0) defeated Stanford 2-0, and will face Tulsa in the quarterfinal round. Tulsa (14-4-2) beat Northwestern 1-0.
No. 3 Wake Forest defeated Duke 4-2, and will host No. 6 UCLA in the quarterfinals Saturday at 7 p.m. The Bruins defeated Santa Barbara 2-1.
Zack Schilawski scored twice for the Deacons.
Observer news services
