No. 7 Virginia women’s soccer takes down No. 2 North Carolina in statement victory

No. 7 Virginia girls’s soccer (8-0-1, 1-0-0 ACC) despatched a shockwave by way of the world of girls’s faculty soccer Saturday evening when it defeated No. 2 North Carolina (7-2-0, 0-1-0 ACC) by a rating of 3-2.

The Tar Heels are seen as traditionally essentially the most dominant staff within the sport, with their 22 program nationwide championships, and they’re nearly at all times in competition for an additional. Earlier than this match, no staff had ever crushed North Carolina in regulation after trailing by two targets.

Nonetheless, this Cavalier staff proved that they’re set on making their very own historical past, as they proceed to chase this system’s first ever nationwide championship. On a unprecedented evening in Chapel Hill, N.C., Virginia introduced its presence to the world as a real contender this season.

The Cavaliers struggled within the first half, as they watched the Tar Heels soar forward to a two objective lead. Positive sufficient, North Carolina appeared as dominant as marketed. 

The Tar Heels bought to enterprise early on the offensive finish, as star junior ahead Avery Patterson fired a shot from the nook of the 18-yard field within the 14th minute. Senior goalkeeper Cayla White stopped the shot however pushed it proper into the chest of sophomore ahead Emily Murphy who managed the ball earlier than scoring into an empty web.

North Carolina doubled its lead when redshirt freshman Ally Sentnor took a move from Patterson and used some nifty footwork to beat a number of Virginia defenders earlier than firing a shot previous White and into the objective. With the Tar Heels’ protection seeming unbreakable — stopping Virginia from even getting a shot off within the first half — a Cavalier win appeared almost inconceivable.

Nonetheless, one thing shifted at halftime for the Cavaliers, they usually emerged a model new staff within the second half. Virtually instantly, Virginia started urgent the North Carolina protection exhausting, and openings lastly started to current themselves. Graduate pupil ahead Rebecca Jarrett was the primary to take benefit, with an unassisted objective within the 54th minute to begin the Cavalier rally.

Coming from the fitting facet, Jarrett took on a number of defenders and began slicing throughout the objective, drawing the keeper to the opposite facet earlier than hitting a shot to the decrease proper nook. Virginia later tied the sport within the 61st minute on a nook kick. A Tar Heel participant was unable to clear the ball away, and senior midfielder Lacey McCormack was in a position to head it in direction of the objective, the place graduate pupil ahead Alexa Spaanstra was ready to move the ball into the again of the web.

North Carolina went on the assault after the game-tying objective, recording three pictures within the subsequent 10 minutes, however this time it was the Cavalier protection that held their floor. When Virginia had one other alternative within the 72nd minute, it took benefit of the second. Freshman Maggie Cagle dribbled up on the left facet earlier than passing it again to junior midfielder Lia Godfrey, who launched a shot from exterior the field for the eventual deciding objective.

As Godfrey’s shot snuck previous the keeper, the group of almost 4,000 — the Tar Heels’ second-largest of the season — fell right into a shocked silence. The silence endured, because the Cavaliers had been in a position to maintain on for the final interval of play to safe the historic victory.

Virginia’s first win over North Carolina for the reason that 2014 season was one of the crucial spectacular in Coach Steve Swanson’s profession.

“Clearly I’m actually pleased with the staff, not simply that we bought the end result, however extra as a result of we dug down deep to combat our approach again in it and we performed the form of soccer we wanted to in an effort to create the probabilities we wanted to attain,” Swanson stated. “Anybody that follows the sport is aware of how tough it’s to win at North Carolina not to mention being down by two targets at halftime.”

The Cavaliers should refocus shortly, as they may keep on the street to face No. 6 Notre Dame Thursday. That match will kick off from South Bend, Ind. at 7 p.m. and could be streamed on ACC Community Additional.