Tar Heels Host Wake Forest Thursday at UNC Soccer Stadium

Thursday, September 12

Chapel Hill, N.C

7 p.m.

North Carolina

Wake Forest

Senior defender Morgan Goff

Photo by: Rebecca Lawson

September 11, 2019 | Women's Soccer

Watch on ACC Network Extra Live Stats Purchase Tickets Parking Information Game Notes (pdf)Media Guide (pdf)

Game time is 7 p.m.

By: Dave Lohse

TAR HEELS HOST WAKE FOREST THURSDAY, TRAVEL TO ARKANSAS SUNDAY: The University of North Carolina women's soccer team returns to the pitch this week to play two games.
UNC plays Wake Forest Thursday at 7 p.m. at the UNC Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Tar Heels then travel over the weekend to meet the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT/12 p.m. CDT at Razorback Field in Fayetteville, Ark.
After winning two games in the Duke Nike Classic in Durham, N.C. last weekend, the Tar Heels are now 6-0 on the season. The Tar Heels are ranked first this week by United Soccer Coaches, first by Top Drawer Soccer and second by Soccer America.
Wake Forest comes to Chapel Hill Thursday for a non-conference game. The two teams were not scheduled to play in the Tar Heels' 10-game regular season ACC schedule so the non-conference tilt was slated. UNC does not play Wake Forest, Virginia or Syracuse as part of the conference schedule this season.
Wake Forest is also undefeated, going 5-0-1 so far with only a tie against VCU keeping its record from being perfect. Wake Forest is ranked 13th by Soccer America and 21st by Top Drawer Soccer.
Thursday's game will be televised nationally on ACC Network Extra with Ben George and Matt Krause on the call.
UNC will then travel for its first ever game at Fayetteville, Ark. on Sunday and only its fourth ever meeting against the Razorbacks. The Razorbacks are 4-1-1 this season heading into a match at Baylor on Thursday.
Sunday's game will be nationally televised on ESPNU with Jordi Angeli and Cat Whitehill on the call.

TICKETS FOR THURSDAY'S GAME AGAINST THE DEMON DEACONS: UNC opened its brand spanking new UNC Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium this season on August 22. The natural grass field and new stadium structure features a seating capacity of 4,090 fans. Advance tickets for the game are on sale at the GoHeels.com Ticket Center.
On game day, tickets will be on sale at the stadium main gate adjacent to the front entrance of Carmichael Arena (South Road entrance). Game day sales will also be available at the Stadium drive pedestrian walkway adjacent to Carmichael Dorm. Individual game tickets are available at $10 for reserved seats and $5 for general admission. Because of the potential of long lines at the ticket centers on Thursday, fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance.

PARKING INFORMATION: UNC Parking & Transportation has created a website to assist Carolina soccer fans to find the easiest and best available parking options for game day parking, always a concern at Carolina. Fans are encouraged to check out these options in advance so they are aware of options, INCLUDING some first-ever pre-pay options at certain lots.

TAR HEELS EXPLODE FOR MOST GOALS IN SEVEN YEARS IN WIN OVER REBELS: Alessia Russo and Brianna Pinto each scored a pair of goals and Bridgette Andrzejewski and Emily Fox each recorded three assists as the top-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team overwhelmed UNLV 8-0 September 8 at the Duke Nike Classic at Koskinen Stadium. The Tar Heels improved to 6-0 on the season while the Rebels fell to 2-3 on the campaign.
The eight goals were the most scored in a game by the Tar Heels since November 16, 2012 when Carolina beat Illinois 9-2 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fetzer Field. UNC tallied seven goals in the second half of that match. The six goals scored by the Tar Heels in the first half Sunday were the most in the opening 45 minutes of a game since September 17, 2003 when UNC scored seven goals before intermission in a 9-0 victory over Guilford.
All 27 players in uniform for the Tar Heels Sunday played at least 16 minutes as UNC head coach Anson Dorrance made liberal use of his bench in the win over the Rebels.
Sunday's match also marked the return to the lineup of Alessia Russo, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Emily Fox all of whom had missed the previous three matches while competing for their home countries in the U23 Nordic Tournament in England.
All three of those players had a huge impact in the game. Russo opened the scoring with 40:01 left in the first half for her first goal of the season. She was assisted on the play by Andrzejewski and Fox. The goal resulted from a nice buildup through the right side with Fox feeding Andrzejewski who delivered a perfect cross from to the foot of Russo at the six-yard line for the put away.
Just less than five minutes later, Brianna Pinto made it 2-0 as she scored her fifth goal of the season from about 12 yards out with 35:03 left in the half. Fox also had the assist on that goal. Freshman Isabel Cox made it 3-0 Carolina with 31:43 left in the half as she stole a back pass, beat a defender and finished from the left side of the penalty area to the far post for her second goal of the season.
Pinto added her second goal of the game with 22:48 left in the opening period, taking a cross from the right side from Andrzejewski and scoring from 10 yards out in the center of the box past the UNLV goalkeeper Emberly Sevilla. It was Pinto's sixth goal of the season.
With 5:30 left in the first half, UNC made it 5-0 on junior defender Lotte Wubben-Moy's first career goal. Wubben-Moy was taken down in the right side of the penalty area by UNLV defender Paige Almendariz. The London native confidently stepped to the 12-yard mark and finished high into the left side of the goal on her penalty attempt. Carolina added its sixth goal of the game with 1:42 left in the first half as Madison Schultz recorded her second goal of the season from four yards out after a cross by Ru Mucherera from the left side. Mucherera had made a long run up the left side of the pitch before feeding her fellow senior striker for the finish.
Carolina added two more goals in the second 45 minutes. Andrzejewski tallied her third goal of the campaign with 37:52 left in the second half, taking a centering pass from Isabel Cox from the right side of the box for a finish in the center within the six-yard area. The assist was the first of Cox's career.
Russo got her second goal of the game with 32:11 left off the third assists of the match by both Andrzejewski and Emily Fox. The passing sequence from the right side found Russo free just inside the unguarded left post for the put away.
Carolina finished with a 28-4 edge in shots in the match and a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks. Claudia Dickey went the whole way in goal for Carolina, making three saves. She improved her goalkeeper record to 3-0 while posting her first solo shutout of the season.
GAME NOTES
• Carolina is 6-0 on the season for the first time since 2013 when it started its campaign with seven straight wins.
• Brianna Pinto matched her career high for goals in a match with two. She also scored twice against Indiana on August 22, 2019.
• Alessia Russo equaled her career high for goals in a game with two. She also had two against Wake Forest on October 8, 2017 and two against Louisville on September 29, 2018.
• Both Emily Fox and Bridgette Andrzejewski had three assists in the match, the first time for a Tar Heel to post a trio of helpers since Julia Ashley had three against Kansas on November 16, 2018.
• Fox matched her career high for assists in a game. She also had three against Syracuse on September 30, 2017.
• This was the first three assist-game of Andrzejewski's career. She had two in a 2-1 win over Virginia on September 24, 2017.
• Freshman Libby Moore and junior transfer Cameron Keating both made their Carolina debuts Sunday, each playing 16 minutes.

PINTO'S MONSTER GOAL LIFTS TAR HEELS PAST TIGERS: Sophomore Brianna Pinto scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season in the 71st minute on September 5 as the top-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team edged LSU 1-0 at Koskinen Stadium in the first game of the 2019 Duke Nike Classic.
The game was played on a slippery field with plenty of rain falling throughout as Hurricane Dorian began its assault on North Carolina Thursday afternoon. UNC improved to 5-0 with the victory while the defending Southeastern Conference Tournament champion Tigers fell to 2-2-1 on the campaign. The shutout was the 600th for the Tar Heels in school history in 966 all-time games.
Carolina dominated the game statistically but LSU's 5-3-1 formation proved to be a challenge for the Tar Heels in the finishing aspect of the game. The only goal came at 70:20 of the match off the foot of Pinto, the Durham native. After Lois Joel's corner kick was cleared out of the penalty area by the Tigers, Rachel Jones retrieved the ball and pushed it on to her right to an open Pinto who took a couple of dribbles and deposited the ball with more than a little authority from the top of the arc into the upper left corner.
Carolina outshot the Tigers 12-1 in the first half and had all seven corner kicks in the opening 45 minutes. With 38 minutes left in the first half, Morgan Goff's header off a free kick service by Lois Joel went off the left post. Four minutes later, Isabel Cox had a shot from the right side of the box saved by LSU starting goalkeeper Emma Grace Goldman.
Pinto's shot from the top of the box with 22:21 left in the first half was saved by Goldman, who finished the match with seven saves while playing all 90 minutes. With 12:45 left before halftime it appeared freshman Alexis Strickland might have earned her third goal of the young season but her header skidded just to the right of the goal and the match went to halftime all knotted at nil-nil.
The Tar Heels outshot the Tigers 7-3 in the second half and earned all five of the period's corner kicks. Eventually it was Pinto's moment of offensive brilliance that provided the difference. Morgan Goff made a diving tackle in the game's final five minutes in the penalty box to preserve the clean sheet.
UNC outshot the Tigers 19-4 and finished with a 12-0 edge on corner kicks. Carolina split goalkeepers by half with Marz Josephson playing the opening 45 minutes and Claudia Dickey the second 45 minutes. Each Tar Heel goalkeeper made one save.
GAMES NOTES
• UNC improved to 2-0 all-time against LSU. The previous meeting was 10 years ago in the 2009 Duke Nike Classic at Koskinen Stadium. That meeting also resulted in a 1-0 Tar Heel victory and was decided on a goal in the 78th minute of play by 2019 World Cup champion Jessica McDonald, then a junior for the Tar Heels.
• Claudia Dickey is now 2-0 in goalkeeper decisions this season.
• Dickey and Josephson shared the shutout, each making one save. UNC recorded its 600th shutout in Carolina history in 966 games. UNC has shut out its opponents 62.1 percent of the time in history.
• Alessia Russo, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Emily Fox returned to the team this week after playing in the U23 Nordic Tournament in England August 28-September 2. None of the three played on Thursday but they are expected back in the lineup Sunday versus UNLV.

CAROLINA SOCCER KICKS CHILDHOOD CANCER: The University of North Carolina men's and women's soccer teams are joining forces this September to raise money to support the UNC Lineberger pediatric hematology/oncology clinic. The Carolina Soccer Kicks Childhood Cancer fundraising campaign will culminate with the women's game vs. NC State on September 26 dedicated to pediatric cancer and a check presentation at the men's game vs. Duke on September 27.
Anyone interested in supporting this incredible fundraising effort can visit give.classy.org/uncsoccerkickscancer to donate. Each member of the men's and women's soccer teams will have an individual fundraising page with an overall goal of raising $10,000 to support UNC Lineberger.
The funds raised will be used to help patients and their families with non-medical needs like parking and gas cards. They will also support the child-life specialists who work with families to provide services such as:
• Preparation and support before, during and after medical procedures
• Pain-management techniques
• Medical and recreational play
• Kid-friendly explanation of medical terminology
• Education on coping skills
• Assisting patients on returning to school
For more information, contact Elizabeth Rubio at UNC Lineberger (elizabeth_rubio@med.unc.edu) or Korie Sawyer Rich at UNC Athletics (kcsawyer@unc.edu).