The Bison Men’s soccer team went 0-2 in North Carolina this past Friday and Sunday. Unfortunately, the Orange and Blue lost 7-0 to No. 4 University of North Carolina in their Friday night game and 2-0 to No. 7 Wake Forest on Sunday. 

The Tarheels outshot the Bison 24-2 throughout the game. Captain MJ Kuczura ’24 led the Bison’s backline through this challenging weekend. 

“I think playing these two teams is going to help us be successful when it is time to start Patriot League play,” Kuczura said. “Every game we keep getting better and it was a fantastic experience to compete with teams at this high level.”

Kuczura proved to be a key player throughout his first-year campaign, and has also started every game in his sophomore year so far. 

Goalkeepers Aiden Perry ’22 and Bennett Schwartz ’23 split the game in net, with the duo making a combination of 12 saves throughout the match. 

In the Orange and Blue’s second game of the weekend, the Bison held Wake Forest to only two goals throughout the match. 

Three first-years started in the match in Winston-Salem: Aidan Lawlor ’25, Gabe Dahlin ’25, and Jack Roberto ’25, all playing a big role in the Orange and Blue’s defensive unit. 

Goalkeeper Schwartz played the entire game in net, only allowing one goal per half, making great saves to keep the Orange and Blue in a close match. 

The Deacons scored both in the ninth minute and the 51st minute to claim victory over the Bison. Schwartz had a career high of eight saves in this match, being a key player in keeping the Orange and Blue in a close match. 

Sebastian Paz ’24 started at the forward position, leading the Bison in the attack against the Deacons. “Wake Forest was a really good opponent to play against, and I can see the improvement from our first game to this game. I think our team has learned a lot on how to defend and attack against players of this caliber” Paz said. “We are looking to show resilience and bounce back in our upcoming games.”

The Orange and Blue next travel to St. Peter’s this upcoming weekend to face the Peacocks. The game is scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4.