And in the top-ranked, defending national champion Tar Heels' 1-0 loss to No. 5 Nebraska, UNC's lack of fitness was apparent and crippling.
"One of the things we weren't happy with coming into the preseason was our fitness base," Dorrance said. "They exposed that."
UNC's lack of conditioning was most detrimental in the 71st minute when the Tar Heel defense attempted to clear the ball but instead served it to freshman Cornhusker Jenna Cooper. Cooper lofted a shot from 25 yards out that barely grazed UNC goalkeeper Jenni Branam's fingertips and went in.
"We got the ball in some dangerous positions and made some very poor decisions with it," Dorrance said. "Their speed of play and pressure disrupted our ability to made good decisions and play with composure."
Neither team had much composure at the start of the match. Both squads struggled to connect passes and find their offensive rhythm. Senior midfielder Jena Kluegel, who played with the U.S. National Team this summer, attempted four of UNC's six shots on goal in the first half.
One of her tries was the closest the Tar Heels came to scoring. In the 21st minute, Kluegel made a break down the left side of the field and booted the ball at Cornhusker goalkeeper Erin Miller. Miller barely got her left hand on the ball and tipped it over the crossbar.
"We had our chances, and now we just need to work on sticking them," Kluegel said.
She agreed the team's intensity is not up to par, and that was the biggest reason for the loss.
"We need to be able to play hard for 90 minutes," Kluegel said. "We need to come out and play every game like it's our last. That's a characteristic of last year's team throughout the NCAA Tournament that we're missing right now."
