Boston College men’s soccer returns home, looking to snap a two-game losing streak Friday night against a formidable opponent in North Carolina (10-2-1, 4-1 Atlantic Coast). The Eagles (4-5-3, 2-4) have lost their last two matches against ranked teams, falling to both No. 2 Wake Forest and No. 20 UConn, and the road doesn’t get any easier against the No. 5 Tar Heels, who currently top the ACC Coastal Division and enter the game having won five of their last seven games.
Who is BC playing?
North Carolina
When is BC playing?
Friday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Newton Campus Soccer Field, Newton, Mass.
How to Watch:
Live stats for the game will be provided by Sidearm Stats.
By the Numbers:
BC:
1) Simon Enstrom has scored the game-winning goal in all four of BC’s wins this season and has accounted for eight of the Eagles’ 17 goals in 2018.
2) Despite failing to complete the comeback against UConn on Tuesday, the 3-2 loss did keep one strange streak alive for BC. Every one of the Eagles’ 12 games this season has been decided by one goal or less.
3) Kristofer Konraddson finally scored the first two goals of his BC career in the loss to the Huskies on Tuesday. The freshman playmaker is second on the team with 28 shots and leads the team with four assists.
North Carolina:
1) The Tar Heels lead the all-time series between the two teams, 11-4-1, though the Eagles did win the last contest between the two teams in 2016.
2) UNC’s attack flows through Giovanni Montesdeoca. The sophomore forward leads the team with six goals on the season.
3) The Tar Heels are undefeated this season when scoring a goal. Their only two losses of the 2018 campaign have been 1-0 defeats to Indiana and North Carolina State.
Last Meeting:
The two teams last met in the 2016 ACC Championship. Despite losing, 5-0, to the Tar Heels earlier in the season, the Eagles won the rematch between the teams, 1-0, thanks to a goal in the 58th minute from Zeiko Lewis that sent them to the tournament semifinals, where they would then falter, 1-0, to Clemson.
Outlook:
At the very least, BC has been competitive in every game it’s played this season, and that trend should continue even against an excellent UNC team. After all, the Eagles arguably outplayed No. 2 Wake Forest on the road just a week ago and were unlucky not to come away with at least a tie. Whether or not BC can defeat its second ranked opponent of the season will once again depend on Enstrom. If the senior forward is creating chances, BC should have a fighting chance. Not to mention, with Konradsson finally finding the back of the net, Enstrom shouldn’t have to carry the entire offensive load.
Featured Image by Bradley Smart / Heights Editor
