Tar Heels Capture Third Straight ACC Win

Sunday, September 24

Charlottesville, Va.

3:00 p.m.

North Carolina

7-2-0, 3-0-0ACC

Virginia

6-3-2, 1-1-1ACC

North Carolina

Virginia

Alessia Russo had the game-tying goal as UNC rallied past Virginia.

September 24, 2017 | Women's Soccer

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Dorian Bailey scores game-winning goal in third straight victory.

By: Dave Lohse

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. – Junior midfielder Dorian Bailey came off the bench for the third game in a row to score the game-winning goal as eighth-ranked North Carolina defeated 11^th-ranked Virginia 2-1 in women's soccer action Sunday afternoon at Klockner Stadium. A crowd of 1,540 fans was on hand as well as a national television audience on ESPNU.

Carolina improved to 7-2 overall on the season and is now 3-0 in the ACC with all three wins by single goals over the past eight days. Virginia is now 6-3-2 on the campaign and 1-1-1 in the ACC. Carolina has played its last four games against teams ranked in the Top 20 of the United Soccer Coaches poll.

After Virginia scored early in the contest, the Tar Heels answered with a pair of goals just four minutes apart midway through the first half and those tallies held up for the 2-1 win. Carolina improved to 37-4-4 all-time against the Cavaliers and has now won two in a row in the series and gone 2-0-1 in the last three games between the two teams. Sunday marked the first win for UNC at Klockner Stadium since October 8, 2010 when the Tar Heels won 1-0 in overtime on a goal by Crystal Dunn off an assist by Kelly McFarlane.

Virginia outshot the Tar Heels 10-7 in the game Sunday, including 8-2 in the second half but the Tar Heel defense held up and Samantha Leshnak was active in the box, playing aggressively and denying the Wahoos several scoring chances on dangerous plays that did not result in shots statistically. Both teams recorded four shots on goal in the match and UNC held a 3-2 edge in corner kicks. Laurel Ivory had two saves for the Cavaliers and Samantha Leshnak had three saves for Coach Anson Dorrance's side.

The Tar Heels almost struck in the second minute of the game for an early lead. Bridgette Andrzejewski got free in the box and had a shot from 10 yards out that Virginia goalkeeper Laurel Ivory knocked over the end line for a corner kick at the 1:19 mark. Virginia kindly accepted the reprieve and scored a go-ahead goal at 11:04 of the match. Hana Kerner made a run down the right side of the pitch and served a ball into the box to Montana Sutton on the left side of the penalty area. Sutton redirected the ball to Taylor Ziemer who quickly returned the ball to Sutton whose one-timer from 16 yards went off the underside of the cross bar and into the upper left corner of the frame. The goal was Sutton's second of the year.

Tar Heel freshman forward Alessia Russo almost got the equalizer for the Tar Heels in the 17^th minute as she got free for a moment in the box before Ivory gobbled up the ball on Russo's short from close range. Russo would not be denied, however, as she struck for the game-tying goal at 23:12 as Carolina scored on a counter attack after a long punt by Samantha Leshnak. Dorian Bailey, who had come on for Sydney Spruill just four minutes earlier, fed a ball from about 20 yards out on the right side to Andrzejewski at the top of the box in the center of the pitch. The sophomore forward pushed it wide to her left and Russo ran on to the ball and her shot from 14 yards wound up being deflected by a Virginia defender and going into the left side of the goal for the tying tally. It was Russo's third goal of the season.

Just over four minutes later, Bailey struck for her fifth goal of the season and her third game-winning goal in eight days as she had also scored the lone goals in UNC's 1-0 win over Florida State on September 17 and against Clemson on September 21. The goal came on a give-and-go by Bailey and Andrzejewski with Bailey finishing from eight yards out into the top right corner of the goal. Official time of the goal was 27:28. Julia Ashley's through ball had initially sprung Bailey free as the Tar Heels attacked through the midfield.

There was only one more shot in the first half over the next 17 ½ minutes as Carolina ended the half up 2-1 and with a 5-2 edge in shots.

The second half was certainly a contrast as Carolina's final two shots of the match were taken by Bailey at the 48:19 mark and Julia Ashley at 49:19 of the game. The Cavaliers would go on to take the final eight shots of the match but the UNC defense held strong and the Tar Heels never allowed the equalizer. The most dangerous situations over the next 40 minutes came on shots that were blocked or balls that were pinging around the box.

Leshnak saved a shot by Taylor Ziemer at 49:57 and the Tar Heel defense then blocked three shots in a four-minute span before the half was 15 minutes old while under heavy pressure by the Virginia defense. Leshnak would go on to make two more saves, stopping efforts by Veronica Latsko at the 64:14 and 73:37 marks of the game. The latter shot by Latsko was the last shot by either team in the game as teams battled in the midfield for possession over the final 17:23 of the game. Carolina was particularly effective over the game's final five minutes in controlling the ball on it's offensive end of the field.

Carolina has now started 3-0 in the ACC for the third time in the last four seasons. Next up for Carolina is a match against Syracuse next Saturday at Koka Booth Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park at 12 noon. The match will be webcast nationally on ACC Network Extra. Admission to the match is free.