By JOHN BOSCHINI

Times are changing in Chapel Hill.

After 22 years on the job, former head coach Elmar Bolowich seemed to be part of the furniture at North Carolina. This made his sudden departure for Creighton in the offseason a surprise to just about everyone involved in college soccer, including the team he was leaving behind.

UNC gave the short-term keys to Carlos Somoano, an assistant for the Tar Heels for nine years, while the administration looked for a replacement. They didn't need to look far and on April 25, the day after the birth of his third child, Somoano was announced as only the fifth coach in the program's history.

"It's one of those experiences you can't really put into words," Somoano said. "My ambition was always to be the head coach and honestly I didn't think it would happen at North Carolina. When Elmar decided to leave one of my first thoughts was that this is a great opportunity for me but within two minutes I thought, 'I might not get this job.' Once I did it was a whirlwind of emotion from joy to anxiety to relief. It really ran the gamut."

Expectations continue to be high for North Carolina. The Tar Heels have been to three consecutive College Cups and face the daunting task of replacing the core of players that saw them to the semifinals last season. Defender Jalil Anibaba, midfielder Michael Farfan and forward Alex Dixon are now in the MLS and some role players from 2010 will have to step up.

North Carolina is boosted by the return of Billy Schuler, who was red-shirted last season after injuring his shoulder. The recovery process wasn't completed until the summer but Schuler is back to full strength and the focal point of a rebuilt attack.

"I'm playing up top in a 4-3-3," Schuler said. "Carlos has us dictating possession and I'll be dropping back into midfield and dribble at people which is something I like to."

Despite being part of the UNC system for the better part of a decade, Somoano is making his own mark on the team. As opposed to focusing on sending players up the field like his predecessor, Somoano is looking to implement a more conservative, posession-based style of play. This will have a particular effect on junior playmaker Enzo Martinez.

"Last year I was an attacking midfielder but now it's more conservative, it's about balancing each other out," Martinez said. "We all understand each other's roles so it makes it easier to have more creativity."

The term "rebuilding year" is a term that could easily be applied to the 2011 Tar Heels but it's a term Somoano and his players bristle at.

"I try not to spend a lot of time thinking about what we don't have. We still have a great group of kids and it's a very exciting time," Somoano said. "I think my personality type is one of a perfectionist. I put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed not because people think I should be but because I think I should be."

It's a sentiment echoed by the rest of the Tar Heel lineup and UNC is under a lot of pressure to succeed in the ultra-competitive ACC. The challenge is something Somoano says the players are relishing.

"Playing in the ACC, I don't see any disadvantages to be honest," Martinez said. "The freshman coming in, they'll have to adapt quickly but we want to be the best, you have to beat the best."

North Carolina is certainly used to being the best but whether or not a fourth-straight College Cup is in the cards is still up in the air.