Over the winter holidays, the Triangle United U-17 Boys Gold Soccer Team won the Cocoa Expo College Showcase Tournament in Cocoa Beach, Fla. On its way to the championship, the TUSA team defeated Georgia Futbol Club 3-3, Rochester (NY) Futbol Club 1-0, EOS Real (Fla.) 3-0 and then Mako United (Fla.) in an overtime thriller that came down to shootout, which TUSA won 4-3 on penalty kicks.

Six super seniors to return to UNC

Five starters from the Atlantic Coast Conference's top total defense have announced their intention to come back next season to Chapel Hill. Coach Butch Davis said Monday that defensive tackle Marvin Austin, defensive backs Kendric Burney and Deunta Williams and linebackers Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter will return to the Tar Heels' defense. Receiver Greg Little also will return to the offense.

All were mentioned as possible early entrants to the NFL draft.

Davis said he met with the players during their junior season and after the Meineke Bowl loss to Pittsburgh.

"After talking with NFL personnel around the country, I thought it was in the best interest of all six players to return for their senior seasons," Davis said. "It was an individual decision for each player, and for some it was harder than others."

Austin said he made his decision on his birthday -- Jan. 1 -- as a present to himself while Williams said he knew he would come back since late November, shortly after his three-interception game at Boston College.

Burney and Williams combined for 11 picks this season, with Burney returning two for touchdowns. Sturdivant led the team with 79 tackles and returned a fumble for a score, while Carter had 65 tackles and returned an interception for a TD.

The Tar Heels allowed an average of 267.8 total yards -- the only team in the ACC to give up fewer than 300.

Little, the fifth player in school history with at least 60 catches in a season, caught 62 passes for 724 yards with five touchdowns and rushed for another score.

Briefly ...

After a bitterly cold day one of the CGA's Carolinas Young Amateur, prep golfer Kerri Dice of White Cross was in 21st place of the women's division, and James Madison freshman Rich Leeper of Carrboro was tied for 20th in the men's division. See Sunday's Chapel Hill News for final results. ... The Chapel Hill High School boys basketball team was ranked No. 8 among the state's 3-A team last week. ... Orange High School hosts preseason skills development sessions for boys lacrosse every Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Cedar Ridge called off its daily lax workouts this week because of the frigid weather. ... North Carolina junior Thomas Scotton defeated a pair of nationally-ranked opponents last week to take the 157-pound title at the 2009 Southern Scuffle in Greensboro. With four grapplers earning top-eight finishes, Carolina placed ninth in the team standings with 68.5 points. ... UNC men's lacrosse attack, midfield and defensive units have all received top-10 marks in annual rankings by Face-Off Yearbook. The attack unit is rated the nation's second best while the midfield unit checks in at No. 3 and the defensive corps at No. 7. Only Duke had an attack unit rated better than Carolina's. ... Carolina starters Marcus Ginyard and William Graves were scheduled to miss Monday's game at the College of Charleston with sprained right ankles, coach Roy Williams said on the weekly ACC coaches teleconference. Reserve Justin Watts, who's also been suffering from a sprained right ankle, was to play. The game was played too late for today's edition of the Chapel Hill News. See www.newsobserver.com or print editions of the News & Observer for coverage.