Women's soccer team sweeps Klockner Classic

A year ago, the North Carolina women’s soccer team had an array of unanswered questions.

One of those questions might have been when the Tar Heels would finally score — after the first two games last year they were staring at a winless record and had yet to net a single goal. But now, 12 months after that poor start, if UNC has any questions about its team, offense certainly isn’t one of them.

In two weekend games in the Klockner Classic in Charlottesville, Va., UNC netted six goals.

Senior Crystal Dunn scored three of those goals, including both goals in the shutout season opening victory against No. 16 Santa Clara on Friday.

“It was great for us coming out with the win not even playing at home,” Dunn said.

Coach Anson Dorrance said the team that started this season with two shutout victories is quite different than the team that took the field to start the season last year.

“Obviously if we compare this weekend to our first weekend last year, I can honestly tell you that we are well ahead of where we were last year at this juncture,” Dorrance said.

Senior Kealia Ohai led UNC with two goals in its 4-0 victory against Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday. Ohai scored the first goal of the game in the 23rd minute and beat the keeper again in the 69th. Sophomore Paige Nielsen and Dunn also added goals.

Ohai said the offensive dominance was a result of finding a way to finish plays.

“Our finishing looks awesome, and you need that no matter who you’re playing,” she said. “It should give us good momentum going into our first home game.”

Dunn, the reigning national player of the year, is already only two goals away from matching her entire goal total from last season.

“She’s even better than last year,” Dorrance said. “She’s playing with more confidence, she’s even more of a handful, and I’m excited about where her game is and where it’s going.”

On the other end of the field, there is more uncertainty. After two games, UNC has started two different goalkeepers. Senior Anna Sieloff and sophomore Bryane Heaberlin each played a full first half of a game before switching places in the second half.

Neither allowed a goal, and Dorrance said both will continue to play as the season progresses.

Two early wins don’t tell the whole story about a team, just like two scoreless performances didn’t condemn last year’s team.

But it did tell Dorrance something.

“We’re going to be pretty competitive,” he said, “and pretty deep and pretty fast.”

sports@dailytarheel.com