Lindsey Harris excels for UNC women's soccer in Duke Nike Classic

The game hadn’t started yet, but North Carolina goalkeeper Lindsey Harris was in the zone.

Two UNC shooters struck the ball toward the frame, but Harris was determined to protect her goal.

The No. 8 Tar Heels were warming up for a Friday night matchup against No. 7 Duke, but somebody forgot to tell Harris it was just a warmup.

“It’s just a mentality,” Harris said. “I’m the last line of defense, so I have to stop every shot that comes my way.”

The shots continued to fire, and finally, a ball found its way past Harris’ outstretched hand and into the net. The keeper was livid, pounding her fist into the ground.

But that was the last time she would pluck a ball out of the net all weekend.

The goalkeeper earned a pair of clean sheets for UNC (4-0-1) in the Duke Nike Classic in a 0-0 tie with Duke (5-1-1) and a 2-0 win over Villanova (1-4). The weekend was highlighted by an 11-save game against the Blue Devils — setting her career high.

“Our goalie did an absolutely outstanding job,” said defender Maggie Bill. “She saved our butts.”

Harris single-handedly willed her team to a draw.

“She’s extraordinary,” Coach Anson Dorrance said. “I had an opportunity to recommend kids for the preseason all-conference team, and I nominated Lindsey as my first choice.”

Harris didn’t make the preseason All-ACC squad, but her excellence has already started to show through this season. And by the end of the year, Harris’ sights might be set a notch higher.

“She’ll have to be considered as one of the top goalkeepers in the country,” Dorrance said.

But this time last year, Harris wasn’t the starter, as she split games with former Tar Heel Bryane Heaberlin. In 2016, Harris has emerged as one of UNC’s top players.

The Texas native’s ascension was no product of chance, though.

Harris knew what she had to improve on after the end of last season. In the offseason, Harris set out to make those advances — even though it meant sacrificing her last summer as an undergraduate.

“I was in the gym five days a week, just working to get stronger, quicker and faster,” Harris said. “It was hard, but I knew it was what I needed to get better.”

Harris also had to make a mental change in her quest for greatness, and the work she put in during the offseason helped her fulfill that transformation.

“There was a mindset that I had to switch on in my head,” Harris said. “You worked for it, and you know you can do it — so just do it.”

She’s been in the zone ever since.

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