49ers Earn At-Large Bid to NCAA Tournament; Will Face UNC-Wilmington
Charlotte will make it's first appearance under third-year coach Jeremy Gunn. |
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Nov. 16, 2009
2009 NCAA Men's Tournament Bracket
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team will host UNC-Wilmington in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament announced today by the men’s soccer selection committee. The 49ers will host UNCW on Thursday at Transamerica Field at 7 p.m. and make their first appearance in the tournament since 1997 and sixth in program history.
“As a team we are so excited to be in the tournament and obviously we feel even better about hosting the opening round match,” stated head coach Jeremy Gunn.
The 49ers, who finished the season with an 11-3-5 record, are 5-5-2 against Wilmington all-time and won the last matchup against the Seahawks, 3-1, in 2008. On three occasions Charlotte has hosted an opening round match and came away with a 1-1-1 record in those games.
Charlotte is led in goals by Adam Gross, the Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year, with eight on the year and is trailed by Evan James (seven), freshman Jennings Rex (six) and Luke Exley (five). During the year, Charlotte had a program best 13-game unbeaten streak with a record of 9-0-4 over that span including wins over NCAA Tournament participants; Wake Forest, Winthrop and Saint Louis.
At Transamerica Field this season, the Niners posted an undefeated mark going 5-0-2. UNCW comes into the game 14-2-4 on the season and 4-2-2 on the road. The Seahawks claimed the Colonial Athletic Association tournament title to clinch a spot in the tournament.
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Wilmington’s head coach Aidan Heaney is a 1992 graduate of Charlotte and was a two-time all-region player and MVP for the Niners and had his jersey retired in 2002. Heaney, a goalkeeper, led Charlotte to its first NCAA Tournament berth in 1991 and holds the career record for shutouts and goal against average.
“We have played UNCW in the last couple seasons and they have a great coaching staff and a great program so it should make for an exciting game on Thursday,” Gunn mentioned.
The winner of the UNCW-Charlotte matchup will travel to Winston-Salem, N.C. and face Wake Forest in the second round.
