University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Stanford (City By The Bay Classic)
Carolina Finishes 2-0 in City by the Bay Classic
September 11, 2005 | Women's Soccer
Sept. 11, 2005
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. - The North Carolina women's soccer team took its time finding the net Sunday before notching their first goal in the 29th minute of the first half against the No. 23 Stanford University Cardinal. Carolina then finshed the half by cruising to a 3-0 halftime lead and an eventual 4-0 victory. The win brought the Tar Heels' record to 2-0 in the City by the Bay Classic thus earning the tournament championship for North Carolina.
Carolina played most of the first 20 minutes in the offensive end of the field taking six shots and forcing Stanford goalkeeper Alex Gamble to make four saves but couldn't record a goal. Freshman Yael Averbuch finally found the back of the net at 28:13 when a free kick from 23 yards out glanced off Gamble's hands and trickled into the net.
Averbuch and the Tar Heels' offensive attack kept the pressure going through much of the half by eventually netting two more goals. Heather O'Reilly scored her third goal of the Classic and eighth of the season in the 34th minute when she took a pass from Kacey White and rocketed it off the bottom of the crossbar and in for the score. Carolina's offensive Modt Vsluable Player Lori Chalupny then followed just seven minutes later with a goal of her own, pounding home a rebound from 15 yards out into the upper left corner.
Chalupny shared Tournament MVP honors with senior defender Kendall Fletcher, who after the game was named the team's defensive MVP. Fletcher and the Tar Heels' nearly impenetrable defensive backline allowed the Cardinal just one shot in the first half and three for the entire game. It was a rare moment when goalkeeper Aly Winget had to make a play on the ball as the Cardinal didn't have a single shot on goal while she was in the net. Carolina's lone save came from backup goalkeeper Anna Rodenbough late in the second half. The shutout was the defense's fourth of the 2005 season as North Carolina improved to 6-0 overall on the campaign.
Fletcher also made a contribution on the offensive end by scoring the team's only goal of the second half. She tallied her second goal of the season after taking a cross from Jaime Gilbert and knocking it into a wide open net.
Carolina finished with a 14-3 shot advantage in the game and a 35-11 edge in shots during the weekend. O'Reilly led the Classic in scoring notching eight points on three goals and two assists.
The Tar Heels will take the long flight home Sunday night and return to action September 16 against San Diego in the Duke adidas Classic in Durham, N.C. Carolina will then take on the Blazers of Alabama-Birmingham in the second game of the adidas Classic on September 18.
