University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Boston College
Tar Heels Fall To No. 4 Boston College In ACC Opener
September 23, 2010 | Women's Soccer
Sept. 23, 2010
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Facing its second Top 5 team in five days, North Carolina's top-ranked women's soccer team saw its unbeaten season end as fourth-ranked Boston College rallied past the Tar Heels 3-2 before 1,800 fans at Fetzer Field. It was the first ever win for the Eagles over Carolina as they improved to 8-0-1 and 1-0 in the ACC. UNC fell to 8-1-1 and 0-1 in the ACC.
UNC freshman midfielder Crystal Dunn twice put the Tar Heels ahead in the second half only to see BC rally both times and eventually get the game-winner from Victoria DiMartino in the 76th minute of play. It was the first time UNC has lost in a game in which it led since October 22, 2009 when the Tar Heels fell 3-2 in overtime at Florida State. That was also the last game in which the Tar Heels had surrendered three goals in a match.
UNC outshot the Eagles 8-5 in the first half but the game was scoreless at intermission. Both teams had excellent chances to score in the first half. At 21:21, UNC's Meghan Klingenberg was taken down in the box by a BC defender but Jill Mastroianni saved the subsequent penalty kick to keep the game scoreless. Later in the half, BC's Mary G. Wagner had successive shots on the doorstep on the right side of the frame after a scramble in the box. UNC defenders were able to parry away both shots to keep the game tied at 0-0. Mastroianni, who finished with eight saves, also had diving stops on two shots by Klingenberg in the run of play at 1:22 and 30:33 of the first half.
BC appeared destined to take the lead early in the second half after UNC's Rachel Wood was called for a handball in the penalty area in the 53rd minute. But Tar Heel goalkeeper Anna Sieloff made the save on Hannah Cerrone's penalty kick and the game remained tied.
The fireworks began shortly after when Dunn scored the first goal of her career at 58:40 of the match. Meghan Klingenberg served a ball from the left side that was brilliantly headed on by Courtney Jones in the box to the onrushing Dunn who buried it from four yards out inside the right post.
Just 1:03 later BC tied the game on a goal by Kristie Mewis, her fifth of the season. Amy Caldwell fed a ball down the right side to Victoria DiMartino who fed a brilliant cross to the far post where Mewis was completely unmarked. Mewis headed the ball down and inside the right post for the tying score at 59:43.
The Tar Heels seized the lead again just a few minutes later. Ali Hawkins' shot in the 64th minute was cleared away by an Eagle defender but Dunn pounced on the rebound and score into the empty net at 63:39.
UNC was unable to maintain its defensive intensity however and BC struck for the tying goal at 69:55 as defender Alaina Beyar dribbled through the UNC midfield and struck a ball from the top of the box that bounded first off the left post then off the right post and into the goal for her first tally of the season.
Boston College got the winning goal at 75:38 as DiMartino tallied her ninth goal of the season off an assist by Kristie Mewis. The scoring play came off a throw in with Mewis eventually feeding DiMartino at the top of the box. DiMartino's feed into the box by Brooke Knowlton went by her and inadvertently clipped UNC defender Meg Morris before settling inside the left post.
The Tar Heels were not able to muster another shot in the game as BC's defense held firm in the final 14:22 of play. The win by BC cut its series deficit against Carolina to 11-1.
The loss was UNC's first in an ACC opener since the Tar Heels fell to NC State 2-1 on October 10, 2002 in Cary, N.C. It also marked the first time UNC has allowed three goals in a single half of play since surrendering three in the first half of a 3-2 loss to Penn State at Fetzer Field on September 12, 1999.
