A brilliant goal from Joschi Schelb and a concerted defensive effort helped UNC beat NC State 1-0 in the ACC Tournament semifinals Thursday in Cary. The Tar Heels will now advance to the ACC championship for the first time since 2023.
Off to the final ?
The Heels will play for the ACC Championship on Sunday at 4 pm!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/18Msq3RuHo
— UNC Men's Soccer (@UNCmenssoccer) November 13, 2026
NC State had the better of play in the first half, holding UNC without a shot and generating the only chance on target. The Tar Heels saw more of the ball in the second half, with Max Fisher’s effort in the 50th minute serving as Carolina’s first shot on goal. The breakthrough came in the 63rd minute, when Schelb, the reigning ACC Offensive Player of the Year, corralled a cross from Bertil Rygaard Hansen and volleyed it around a Wolfpack defender and into the back of the net. It was the 17th goal of th eseason for Schelb, extending his lead as the ACC’s top goalscorer.
What a goal ?
Joschi Schelb stays hot!#GoHeels #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/2Bp73Qtjgq
— UNC Men's Soccer (@UNCmenssoccer) November 13, 2026
It was fortunate for the Tar Heels that Schelb made good on his chance, as UNC wouldn’t have another shot on goal for the rest of the night. NC State nearly found an equalizer in the 67th minute, only for Carolina keeper Alan Rutkowski to deflect a Wolfpack header over the crossbar and out of play.
NC State kept the pressure on in the final 23 minutes but did not generate another shot, on target or not. The 1-0 win was Carolina’s first shutout against an ACC opponent since Oct. 16, a span of four matches. It also extended the Tar Heels’ unbeaten run to 11 matches, a streak which stretches back to Sep. 26. UNC’s 10 wins on the season are its most since 2023, which is also the last time the team reached the ACC championship match.
The championship is scheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m. in Cary’s WakeMed Soccer Park. The Tar Heels will face either No. 1 seed SMU or No. 13 seed Syracuse, who will face off in Thursday’s second semifinal. UNC is seeking its first ACC Tournament title since 2011, when the Tar Heels also won the national championship.
It will be a UNC doubleheader Sunday in Cary, as the women’s team will also compete in the ACC championship on the same field earlier that day against Virginia. The Tar Heels advanced by virtue of their 1-0 win against Duke earlier Thursday. Kickoff of the women’s final is set for 12 p.m.
Featured image via Chapel Hill Media Group/Caleb Rothrock
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