By Pat James, GoHeels.com
The North Carolina men's soccer team entered Friday's match against Notre Dame having already clinched the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division and No. 2 seed in the ACC Championship.
But the returns of two key players in the third-ranked Tar Heels' 3-0 win over the 16th-ranked Fighting Irish might carry more significance than seeding once postseason play begins.
For the first time since UNC's 6-1 victory over Rutgers on Aug. 27, goalkeeper James Pyle played and recorded a shutout in his return. The Tar Heels have surrendered just three goals over the past eight games.