Aug. 13, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -
North Carolina, which ended the 2008 season as the national runner-up, will open its 2009 campaign as the nation's No. 2 ranked team in the NSCAA Men's Preseason Top 25, which was released Tuesday. The Tar Heels are part of a clean sweep of the top three spots for the Atlantic Coast Conference, as Maryland is ranked No. 1 and Wake Forest checks in at No. 3.
Carolina returns four of its top five scorers from last year's 15-8-1 squad, which advanced to the finals of the 2008 NCAA College Cup. The Tar Heels will also be bolstered by one of the nation's top recruiting classes when they open preseason training Saturday.
Paced by Eddie Ababio's 18 points, UNC welcomes back five players that tallied 10 or more points a year ago, including freshman All-America picks Billy Schuler and Kirk Urso. Brooks Haggerty returns in goal after a stellar postseason run in 2008.
