CHAPEL HILL, N.C. \u2013\u00a0North Carolina men’s soccer will play its home opener on Friday at 7:30 p.m. when it hosts VCU in a non-conference match-up on Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium. The Heels and Rams have met 13 times with Carolina holding a 9-2-2 advantage. This will be the first meeting between the two programs since they met in Chapel Hill in 2021, drawing 1-1. The Friday evening match is a Carolina Fever game with the first 500 students receiving a Heeligans koozie.<\/p>\n
Game Info
\nWho: Carolina vs. VCU
\nWhere: Chapel Hill, N.C. \u2013 Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium
\nWhen: Friday, Aug. 28 \u2013 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
Tar Heel Tidbits
\n
\n<\/p>\n
Stay up to date with UNC men’s soccer by following the Tar Heels on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0 and\u00a0Facebook<\/a>.
\n\tCarolina opened the 2026 season earning a 1-1 draw at No. 5 Georgetown last Thursday. The Heels then traveled to Memphis and fell 3-2 in what was a wild match that saw five goals in the first half and none in the second.
\n\tHead Coach Carlos Somoano<\/a> is in his 16th season at the helm of Carolina soccer (25th overall). He holds a career record of 185-69-56.
\n\tCarolina opened the season in the ‘Others Receiving Votes’ category of the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 and was ranked No. 25 by TopDrawerSoccer.
\n\tCarolina’s transfer class of Nick Lockermann<\/a>, Nico Loebus<\/a>, Joschi Schelb<\/a> and Ryan Zellefrow<\/a> was ranked No. 2 by TopDrawerSoccer, while its incoming freshman class was ranked 14th.
\n\tLuca Nikolai<\/a> was drafted by NYCFC, but made the decision to return to Carolina to finish off his college career leading the Tar Heels. He was a third-team All-South Region and second-team All-ACC selection last year.
\n\tCarolina had six players listed on the Hermann Trophy Watch Lists. Lockermann earned a spot with the defenders, while Evans Dapaah<\/a>, Loebus, Nikolai, Schelb and Zellefrow were listed on the midfielders list, although Schelb will play as a forward this season.
\n\tAfter four years with Andrew Cordes<\/a> in goal, Alan Rutkowski<\/a> has taken over the goalkeeping duties. The Elmwood, N.J. native served as Cordes’ understudy last season after playing his club football with the New York Red Bulls.\u00a0
<\/p>\n