It didn’t take long for Maria Lubrano to start making up for lost time.
Playing for the North Carolina women’s soccer team for the first time since 2009, Lubrano pounced on the rebound from a Kealia Ohai shot in the second minute of Friday’s game at Nebraska and lashed it into the back netting, giving the No. 3 Tar Heels the early advantage in their 2-1 season-opening victory.
After missing both the 2008 and 2010 seasons with foot and hip injuries, respectively, the NCAA awarded Lubrano a medical hardship waiver, granting her another year of eligibility in addition to her redshirt season in 2008.
Her goal on Friday was her first since Nov. 1, 2009, and it put UNC up 1-0 just 94 seconds into the contest.
“It’s just a testament to how hard she’s been working,” junior midfielder Amber Brooks said. “It was a great play on her part, and there’s no one you’d more like to see get on the score sheet.”
The Cornhuskers got even in the 49th minute when Nebraska forward Jordan Jackson took advantage of a miscue by Tar Heel goalkeeper Hannah Daly. Jackson poked the ball away from Daly as she dribbled in the box and tapped it into an open net.
With the score tied at one, Brooks pulled Daly aside, urging her to forget the mistake and stay confident. Moments later, Daly redeemed herself, diving to her right to deny Morgan Marlborough’s penalty kick attempt, keeping the two sides on level playing field in the 60th minute.
The junior keeper also came up with a pair of big saves down the stretch to keep UNC from falling behind.
“I just told her, I said, “Hannah, we’re all confident in you. Be confident in yourself,” Brooks said. “She showed great resiliency in how she was able to come around and make some big stops down the stretch.”
