WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary men's soccer steps out of conference play Tuesday evening, traveling to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face No. 16 North Carolina in its final road game of the regular season.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., with the game streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
THE TRIBE. William & Mary enters Tuesday at 7-6-2 overall and 2-3-2 in CAA play following a 1-0 setback at Campbell on Saturday.
Despite the loss, the Tribe held a 12-4 advantage in shots and a 7-2 edge in corner kicks. W&M generated six shots in each half but was unable to overcome an early Campbell goal.
The Green and Gold have scored 30 goals through 15 games, averaging two goals per contest. William & Mary has been particularly productive in the second half, scoring 20 of its 30 goals after halftime.
The Tribe have recorded seven victories this season, matching their highest win total since 2021.
RUITENBERG LEADING THE WAY. Senior Gabe Ruitenberg continues to lead the Tribe offensively with 17 points on four goals and nine assists.
Ruitenberg's nine assists are tied for fifth nationally and tied for the CAA lead, while his 17 points rank tied for second in the conference.
The senior has recorded five assists over his last four games, including two each in victories over Howard and Navy earlier this month.
Freshman Aidan Gatchell ranks second on the team with 16 points on five goals and six assists. Gatchell earned CAA Rookie of the Week honors and TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week honorable mention recognition following his five-point performance against Howard on Oct. 8.
Sophomore Alex Garrison has added 11 points on five goals and an assist, while sophomore Beckham Harris has contributed seven points on three goals and an assist.
HUFFARD MAKING AN IMPACT. Freshman Brown Huffard leads William & Mary with seven goals and ranks third on the team with 15 points.
The McLean, Va., native is tied for second in the CAA in goals and has recorded two game-winning goals this season.
Huffard has earned four CAA weekly honors, including three Rookie of the Week selections and one Offensive Player of the Week award.
The freshman also earned national recognition earlier this month, receiving TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week and College Soccer News Freshman of the Week honors following a three-goal stretch against Navy and Charleston.
Huffard scored twice in the Tribe's 4-0 victory over Navy on Oct. 13 before adding the equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Charleston on Oct. 17.
Huffard and Gatchell were also recently named to TopDrawerSoccer's Men's Midseason Top 100 Freshmen list. Gatchell came in at No. 13, while Huffard was ranked No. 62.
GARCIARENA IN GOAL. Senior Diego Garciarena has started all 15 games in goal for the Tribe, recording 49 saves and four shutouts.
Garciarena owns a 7-6-2 record with a 1.47 goals-against average and a .690 save percentage.
The Asunción, Paraguay, native is tied for third in the CAA with four shutouts this season, bringing his career total to nine.
Garciarena recorded consecutive shutouts against Howard and Navy earlier this month and has played nearly every minute for the Green and Gold this season.
THE TAR HEELS. No. 16 North Carolina enters Tuesday at 7-2-4 overall and 3-1-3 in ACC play following a 2-2 draw at Duke on Friday.
The Tar Heels are unbeaten in their last six games, posting a 5-0-1Â record during that stretch. North Carolina has scored 29 goals through 13 games, averaging 2.23 goals per contest while allowing just 1.15 goals per game.
Joschi Schelb leads the Tar Heels with 26 points on 12 goals and two assists. His 12 goals are tied for third nationally, and he has recorded three game-winning goals this season.
Luca Nikolai ranks second on the team with 14 points on four goals and six assists, while Ryan Zellefrow has added 12 points on four goals and four assists.
Bertil Rygaard Hansen has contributed eight points on a goal and six assists.
In goal, Alan Rutkowski has started all 13 games for North Carolina, recording 36 saves and four shutouts. Rutkowski owns a 1.15 goals-against average and a .706 save percentage.
The Tar Heels are 5-1-1 at home this season and have outshot their opponents 195-95, averaging 15 shots per game.
TRIBE VS. TAR HEELS. North Carolina holds a 17-2-3 advantage in the all-time series against William & Mary.
The programs last met in 2024 in Williamsburg, where the Tar Heels earned a 5-2 victory.
William & Mary's most recent victory over North Carolina came on Sept. 24, 2013, when the Tribe earned a 1-0 road win in Chapel Hill.
The teams also met on Oct. 17, 2023, when W&M battled No. 11 North Carolina to a scoreless draw in Chapel Hill.
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS. Tuesday marks William & Mary's second game against a nationally ranked opponent this season.
The Tribe are 0-1 against ranked competition in 2026 after falling 2-1 at No. 15 Old Dominion on Sept. 22.
W&M's most recent victory over a ranked opponent came on Oct. 11, 2022, when the Tribe defeated No. 10 Wake Forest, 2-1, in Williamsburg.
The Green and Gold's most recent result against a ranked opponent came in the a 0-0 draw at No. 11 North Carolina in 2023.
William & Mary's last road victory over a nationally ranked opponent came on Nov. 2, 2019, when the Tribe defeated No. 21 James Madison, 3-2.
CAA PICTURE. With one conference game remaining, William & Mary sits fourth in the CAA South Division standings with eight points and a 2-3-2 record.
UNCW leads the division with 19 points at 6-0-1, followed by Elon with 10 points and Charleston with nine.
The Tribe remain in contention for a CAA Tournament berth entering Saturday's regular-season finale against UNCW. A victory or draw against the Seahawks would secure W&M's first postseason appearance since 2022.
Tuesday's nonconference game at North Carolina will not affect the CAA standings.
WHAT'S NEXT. William & Mary return home Saturday, Oct. 31, to close out the regular season against No. 24 UNCW at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field.
Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., with the game streamed live on FloCollege.
