A Promising Start
North Carolina’s men’s soccer squad posted a 5‑4 exhibition win against Liberty University on August 9, 2025, at Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill, using the match as a laboratory for a season that will open with road games at Georgetown and Memphis.
The victory was anchored by a trio of Vermont transfers—Nico Loebus, Ryan Zellefrow and Nick Lockermann—who combined for three of the team’s five goals. Loebus, the 2025 America East Rookie of the Year, opened the scoring, while Zellefrow contributed an assist and converted a penalty in the 22nd minute.
Midfield dynamics proved decisive. Alongside Loebus and Zellefrow, sophomore midfielder Luca Nikolai, who earned a spot on the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list, helped sustain pressure and create forward passes that unsettled Liberty’s defense.
Coach Carlos Somoano, in his 16th year at UNC, emphasized experimentation and cohesion after the team’s NCAA tournament exit to Maryland. ‘We wanted to test new combinations,’ Somoano said, noting that the match gave valuable minutes to first‑year forwards Lorenzo D’Agostini and Jace Donawa, both of whom found the net.
The Tar Heels will now travel to face Georgetown in Washington, D.C., before heading to Memphis, Tennessee, and later host VCU at home. With 19 newcomers on the roster, the early win offers a glimpse of chemistry that could translate into ACC success.