DURHAM — The North Carolina women’s soccer team started slow on Sunday morning against Southern California, but it didn’t take long before the Tar Heels were off to the races.
UNC faced an early 1-0 deficit on Friday against California before fighting back to earn a 1-1 draw. And after quickly falling behind to the No. 15 Trojans on Sunday, the No. 4 Tar Heels rallied for a 2-1 win in the second game of the Nike Duke Classic.
USC’s first shot on target found the back of the net, giving the Trojans (2-3-0) a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute. But the UNC defense gave nothing more. USC wouldn’t put another shot on frame for the rest of the match.
The Tar Heels (5-0-1) then turned the game in their favor. UNC started an assault on goal that did not let up. The attack paid its dividends when sophomore Jessie Scarpa scored in the 32nd minute to tie the match at 1.
Scarpa’s shot was part of a lasting trend throughout the game where the Tar Heels were hitting their target.
The team struggled to find the mark against California on Friday, but corrected its errors on Sunday with nine shots on target. UNC forced seven saves by USC goalkeeper Sammy Jo Prudhomme.
In the end, the Tar Heels simply sent too much at the USC defense — finally scoring on a goal by Sarah Ashely Firstenberg with just over 20 minutes to play to seal the victory.
Quotable
“If you’re not very good at shooting, just aim for the goalie, and if you miss it, it’s going to go inside of the goal. That’s what (Coach Anson Dorrance) tells us sometimes.” — Sarah Ashley Firstenberg on the shooting strategy advised by Dorrance before Sunday's match.
