WILMINGTON, N.C. - In a season of firsts for the UNC Wilmington men's soccer program, the Seahawks look to extend their season when they visit Charlotte for an opening round game of the College Cup on Nov. 19 at Transamerica Field.

While the Seahawks did capture their second straight Colonial Athletic Association regular season crown, they went one step further in 2009 and won their first tournament title and the automatic bid that accompanies it. The Seahawks topped upset-minded Northeastern in the conference finale, 1-0, on junior Nassim Berhouni's game-winning goal in the 87th minute.

The men's team joined the UNCW women's program, guided by long-time coach and UNCW alum, Paul Cairney, as conference champions and NCAA College Cup participants.

The winner of the UNCW-Charlotte match will visit perennial power Wake Forest, the number three-seed, on Nov. 22 at Spry Stadium, on the Demon Deacon campus in Winston-Salem.

In a bit of NCAA-irony, when the Seahawks and 49ers meet, it will pit UNCW's ninth-year head coach Aidan Heaney against his alma mater. Heaney served as the 49ers' starting goalkeeper from 1989-92 and his number was retired by the Charlotte Athletics Department in 2003.

Among the firsts for the Seahawks this season was a school-record 13-game unbeaten streak, which they carry into the opening round match. UNCW also knocked off long-time conference nemesis James Madison in Harrisonburg for the first time. The 14 wins this season tied a school-mark set in 1980 and put the Seahawks as high as 18th in the national rankings. The UNCW Soccer Stadium also proved to be a daunting visit for opponents as the Seahawks posted a 10-0-2 mark in the venue.

Kickoff for the Charlotte match will be 7 p.m., and Seahawks fans can follow the action on line with video streaming and live statistics. Visit UNCWsports.com for links to the coverage.

-- UNCWsports.com --