Photo courtesy of Jeff Camarti/UNC Athletic Communications

By JOHN BOSCHINI

In a manner of speaking, North Carolina's quarterfinal penalty-kick victory over Southern Methodist was business as usual for a team who's road to its third-consecutive College Cup has been rocky to say the least.

After season marred by injuries to and an ACC title denied in controversial fashion, North Carolina is the first team in NCAA history to advance to the College Cup by winning all of its games via a shootout.

"Our guys did a good job, stayed strong and were focused," said UNC head coach Elmar Bolowich. "We had confidence going into PKs but in the end you still had to make the play and that's what they did."

Back in early September, many experts were concerned about North Carolina's season when junior forward Billy Schuler, who was UNC's leading scorer in 2009 and an inclusion on the pre-season Herman Trophy Watch List, went down with a severe shoulder injury. Joining Schuler on the bench was two-year starter Cameron Brown. Add to that lengthy injuries to senior Michael Farfan and 6'4 Stephen McCarthy and Bolowich was forced to turn to a largely untested bench for results.

"The guys on the team, the underclassman, they've stepped in and the ones that have played in place of Farfan or McCarthy and done a very good job," Bolowich said.

Sophomore Enzo Martinez stepped up to fill the scoring void left by Schuler, scoring 10 goals which included a game-winner against Boston College in the ACC semifinal and a last-gasp equalizer in the Sweet 16 versus Michigan State. But the Tar Heel offense is far from dominant, its 1.61 goals per game average is 63rd in the country and UNC has scored only three times in its last seven games.

"We've been the dominant team we just haven't been able to score," Farfan said.

During that stretch its been the defense, led by first-year senior Jalil Anibaba, to shut down offenses in the absence of the goals. The Tar Heel back line is fifth in the nation, allowing only 0.63 goals a game and have only surrendered multiple goals only twice.

"That's my job as a defender, and that's our job as a back line, to keep the tightest line possible and keep goals out of the back of the net," said Anibaba, who transfered from Santa Clara at the beginning of the season. "Our cohesiveness and teamwork has been on point since day one and that's why we're still standing."

While North Carolina has struggled has score during the run of play, it has no such problem in a high-pressure shootout. UNC is a perfect 14 for 14 from the penalty spot with Anibaba scoring the game-winner against SMU.

"To be honest with you, I didn't even see the ball go into the back of the net," Anibba said. "I just saw the SMU keeper dive the other way and I knew I didn't hit it wide so I just took off running. It's an indescribable feeling of how good it felt to relish in the moment of us celebrating.    

For a handful of players, the College Cup will be a trip home. Three Tar Heels, Farfan, Anibaba and McCarthy, began their college careers in California. Both Farfan and Anibaba said that it added special significance to play for a national championship in front of friends and family.

"It's really special, my family doesn't really get to go to too many games and neither do my friends," Farfan said. "I'm excited to come back and play in one of the stadiums that I used to play at when I was at Fullerton. I'm excited about the opportunity."

On Friday, UNC faces off against top-ranked Louisville in the inagural matchup of the two programs. Bolowich said that the matchup would be tough but that he wouldn't scout the Cardinals too much, focusing instead on preparing his players.

For the 21-year coach who won the national title with UNC in 2001, anything from here on out is just a bonus.

"I could be in the College Cup for the next 10 years and not win it and be as happy as can be," Bolowich, said. "For me, this (getting to the College Cup) is tremendous success. If we finish fourth in the next 10 years we have a dynamite program. We want to win it, obviously, but if we get close and don't win it that shouldn't be viewed as some sort of failure"