Who: vs. Ohio State
When: Sunday, November 20
Where: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Soccer Stadium
Time: 6 p.m.
Tickets: Purchase tickets here
Live Stats | ESPN+
 
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's soccer team earned the 12-seed in the 2022 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament and first-round bye as the Spartans claimed its 10th ticket into the bracket.
 
The Spartans will serve as host for the second round, as they will face Ohio State on Sunday, November 20 at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
 
This is the 19th time in a NCAA Tournament game since the program started, with seven appearances at the Division III level and two at the Division II level. This will be the second time under fourth-year Head Coach Chris Rich, a two-time SoCon Head Coach of the Year.
 
The Spartans earned its ninth regular season title after defeating Wofford, 2-1, on Saturday, October 29 in Spartanburg, South Carolina and their fifth SoCon Tournament Title with a 2-1 win over Mercer last Sunday, November 12 at home.
 
The Spartans finished the SoCon regular season undefeated with a 4-0-1 record. This was the first time since 2004 when UNCG went 6-0-1 that the Spartans went undefeated.
 
They are also 9-0-1 at home this season, which is the first undefeated season at UNCG Soccer Stadium since 2002, when the team went 8-0.
 
Ohio State entered the season unranked, and by September 6, the Buckeyes were receiving votes. On September 27, Ohio State earned its highest ranking of the season at No. 11 in the United Soccer Coaches national poll. The Buckeyes also climbed as high as No. 2 in the United Soccer Coaches North Region.
 
As of November 13, Ohio State had a RPI of 39, as the third Big Ten team in the poll. This is the 11^th appearance in the NCAA Tournament for Ohio State.
 
AMONG THE NATIONAL RANKINGS (as of 11/17/2022)

• 4^th in won-lost-tied percentage (0.833)
• 7^th in goal differential (29)
• 7^th in shot accuracy (0.508)
• 8^th in total goals (44)
• 10^th in scoring offense (2.44)
• 13^th in shots on goal per game (7.00)
• 14^th in corner kicks per game (6.67)
• 15^th in total points (128)
• 15^th in points per game (7.11)
• 19^th in team goals against average (0.833)
• 20^th in assists per game (2.22)
• 20^th in total assists (40)
• 47^th in shots per game (13.78)

SPARTANS AMONG THE NATION

• Niclas Wild – 33rd in goals against average (0.882), 45th in goalie minutes played (1530:00)
• J.C. Ngando – 2^nd in total assists (13), 4^th in assists per game (0.72), 55^th in points per game (1.17), 52^nd in total points (21), 70^th in shots per game (2.61)
• Ismail El Harchi – 3^rd in shot accuracy (0.649), 11^th in game-winning goals (4), 32^nd in total goals (9), 36^th in goals per game (0.53), 46^th in points per game (1.24), 52^nd in total points (21)
• Maycol Reyes – 33^rd in game-winning goals (3)
• Marco Afonso – 49^th in total assists (7), 52^nd in total points (21), 55^th in points per game (1.17), 70^th in assists per game (0.39), 73^rd in total goals (7)

RPI RANKINGS

• The RPI from November 13 had UNCG at No. 12.
• UNCG is unbeaten against four teams in the top-40 RPI:, Clemson (No. 5), SMU (No. 14), Louisville (No. 27), and Elon (No. 29).
• UNCG is the top SoCon team in the rankings, with Mercer rising No. 105.
• UNCG is the second school from North Carolina in the rankings as Duke is No. 6.

CLIMBING HIGH

• The Spartans climbed to No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches national poll for its first top-10 ranking this season and they moved up to No. 3 in the South Region.
• The No. 7 ranking is the highest mark since the 2004 season when the Spartans spent a three-week stretch as number one in the country.
• The squad also received a No. 9 ranking from TopDrawerSoccer and No. 8 College Soccer News.

SOCON ALL-CONFERENCE

• Twelve total Spartans earned 15 SoCon All-Conference awards this year.
• Head Coach Chris Rich earned his second SoCon Coach of the Year award.
• He is the seventh coach in SoCon history to earn the honor back-to-back years.
• The 15 All-Conference honors, included J.C. Ngando being named SoCon Player of the Year.
• He is the eighth from UNCG to be named SoCon Player of the Year, as Theo Collomb earned the recognition last year.
• Niclas Wild is the second student-athlete to be named SoCon Goalkeeper of the Year back-to-back years, along with ETSU's Jonny Sutherland in 2016 and 2017.
• Ngando, Wild, Ismail El Harchi, Emmanuel Hagan, and Marco Milanese earned first team recognition.
• Steven Hernandez, Marco Afonso, Basile Marc, and Ethan Conley were selected for the second team.
• Hernandez, Sami Lachekar, Maddox Mallery, and Colton Sessoms earned All-Freshman Team honors.

LAST TIME OUT

• UNCG captured its fifth SoCon Tournament Title in program history behind a 2-1 win over Mercer last Sunday at home.
• UNCG earned its fourth SoCon double crown in program history (Regular and Tournament Championships).
• With the win at home, the Spartans extended its unbeaten streak to 9-0-1 at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
• Basile Marc scored his second goal of the season.
• El Harchi tallied his ninth goal of the season.
• Izaiah Vignali registered his first assist of the season.
• Wild made two saves.
• Afonso, El Harchi, Marc, and Ngando were named to the SoCon All-Tournament Team.
• El Harchi was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament.

SCOUTING OHIO STATE

• The Buckeyes are making its 11^th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2015.
• Ohio State advanced to the second round behind a 3-0 shutout over Wake Forest on Thursday in Winston-Salem.
• The Buckeyes are 8-10-3 all-time in NCAA Tournament competition.
• Ohio State fell to Rutgers, 2-1, in a Big Ten Semifinal match.
• Junior Laurence Wootton (Midfielder of the Year) and senior Keagan McLaughlin (Goalkeeper of the Year) also garnered First Team All-Big Ten honors. Senior Xavier Green and sophomore Anthony Samways were named Second Team All-Big Ten by the league coaches. Rookies Tanner Creech and Luciano Pechota (unanimous) earned spots on the All-Freshman team while senior Brayden Durbin was named Ohio State's Sportsmanship Award honoree.
• Ohio State has tallied seven shutouts this season.
• The Buckeyes have outscored opponents 34-19 and outshot opponents 285-178.
• Xavier Green has led the charge scoring five goals and four assists for 14 points.
• Laurence Wootton (5 goals, 2 assists, 12 points) and Anthony Samways (2 goals, 7 assists, 11 points) are two other Buckeyes with double-digit points.
• Samaways' seven assists are the most on the team.
• Keagan McLaughlin as played in 15 games in net giving up 14 goals for 0.92 goals against average.

BUCKEYES AROUND THE NATION (as of 11/17/22)

• 20^th in won-lost-tied percentage (0.711)
• 24^th in corner kicks per game (1.42)
• 24^th in shots per game (15.00)
• 24^th in shots on goal per game (6.47)
• 36^th in goal differential (15)
• 40^th in team goals against average (1.000)
• 42^nd in total goals (34)
• 46^th in scoring offense (1.79)
• 49^th in total points (95)
• 53^rd in points per game (5.00)
• 53^rd in shutout percentage (0.368)
• 63^rd in total assists (27)
• 73^rd in save percentage (0.743)

ALL-TIME HISTORY

• UNCG and Ohio State have met just once prior to this match.
• The Spartans defeated the Buckeyes 6-0 on October 5, 1991 in Greensboro, N.C.