Aug. 13, 2008

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The North Carolina men's soccer team has been picked to finish fourth in the always-competitive Atlantic Coast Conference by a vote of the league's nine head coaches, the conference announced Wednesday. Additionally, the Tar Heels are ranked No. 24 in the preseason NSCAA/adidas Coaches Poll, which was released Tuesday.

With 55 points in the ACC poll, Carolina, which returns seven starters and 15 letterwinners from last year's 7-8-5 club, finished behind defending national champion Wake Forest (79 points), Maryland (62) and Boston College (60).

Nationally, the Tar Heels were one of five ACC teams to earn a spot in the preseason top 25. The Demon Deacons claimed the No. 1 spot, followed by No. 4 Boston College, No. 8 Maryland, No. 10 Virginia Tech and No. 24 UNC.

The Tar Heels will be led by top returning scorers Bill Dworsky and Michael Callahan this season and added the nation's No. 4 ranked freshman class according to College Soccer News.

Carolina is in the midst of preseason training and opens the exhibition slate at the National Soccer Festival in Ft. Wayne, Ind., against No. 7 Indiana and No. 12 Akron Aug. 22 and 24.