JMU to Face No. 16 UNC in NCAA First Round Nov. 20

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Playing in its first NCAA Tournament since making a run to the Sweet 16 during the 2011 season, the James Madison men's soccer team opens its 2014 College Cup run on Thursday night, Nov. 20, against North Carolina on Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill at 7 p.m.

How They Got Here
The Dukes reached the Big Dance by virtue of winning the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 16. In the CAA Tournament, the Dukes topped each of the three teams that tied for first place in the conference during the regular season – No. 3 Hofstra, No. 2 UNCW and No. 1 Delaware. Madison did not allow one goal in the tournament, defeating the three opponents by a combined score of 5-0. JMU became the first No. 6-seed in conference history to win the men's soccer tournament. Only on one other occasion did a six-seed reach the CAA Tournament Finals, but sixth-seeded Old Dominion fell to JMU in 1993.

The Tar Heels are appearing in their 22nd NCAA Tournament all-time and 15th in the last 16 seasons. North Carolina enters the match with a 12-5-1 record overall. It finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division. The Tar Heels fell to Louisville in the ACC Quarterfinals 1-0, last time out on Nov. 9.

The Series
All-time against the Tar Heels, JMU leads the series 3-2 with the most recent meeting coming on Sept. 11, 2012. In that match at University Park, the Dukes topped North Carolina 1-0 when the Tar Heels were the top-ranked team in the country. The year before, North Carolina got the best of the Dukes in Chapel Hill, winning 4-1. The previous three matchups between the two came from 1992-94. Thursday's match marks the second NCAA Tournament meeting between the two programs. During the 1994 tournament, JMU traveled to North Carolina on Nov. 20, 1994, and shut out the Tar Heels 3-0 to advance to the next round.

Last Time in the NCAA Tournament
JMU is back in the NCAA Tournament for the 14th time overall and the first time since 2011 when the Dukes ran to the Sweet 16 before falling at UConn. JMU's best showings in the tournament include two Elite Eight runs and the 2011 Sweet 16 run.

North Carolina appeared in the NCAA Tournament last season but was bounced in the second round when it lost 1-0 to UC Irvine. The Tar Heels have won two national titles, the last of which came in 2011.

Tickets
Fans wishing to attend the match in Chapel Hill can purchase tickets at GoHeels.com by clicking HERE. Adults are $10 and seniors are $5.

Watching the Dukes
Thursday's match will be streamed online, courtesy of GoHeels.com and GoHeelsTV. Anyone wishing to watch the match can access the feed for free by clicking HERE.

Live Stats
In addition to the video feed, live stats from Chapel Hill will be provided and can be found by clicking HERE.

Following JMU
To keep up with the latest news regarding JMU men's soccer and the rest of the James Madison athletics department, follow @JMUMSoccer and @JMUSports on Twitter, "Like" JMU Sports on Facebook and follow @jmusports on Instagram.

Up Next
The winner of Thursday's match will move to the second round on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 23, against 10th-seeded Charlotte. As one of the 16 seeded teams in the tournament, the 49ers earned a bye to the second round of the tournament and will host the winner of JMU and North Carolina at 2 p.m.

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