After being shut out by Southern California last weekend, the North Carolina women’s soccer team's scoring drought continued against N.C. State at home Friday night.
Despite many scoring opportunities, the No. 7 Tar Heels lost to the Wolfpack, 1-0, for their second-straight loss of the season.
What happened?
Through much of the game, several scoring opportunities for both sides resulted in neither team being able to find the back of the net. Headed into half time, both teams were even at 0-0.
But in the 66th minute that all changed. Capitalizing on a defensive miscommunication between several North Carolina defensive players, N.C. State was able to stun the home team with a goal that proved to be the game-winner.
After getting the wind knocked out of them, the North Carolina offense continued to put pressure on the N.C. State defense for the rest of the match, but to no avail. The team took eight shots on goal in the game and had several other missed opportunities.
Who stood out?
While the offense was unable to score, the North Carolina defense was able to keep the team in the game by forcing N.C. State to make each shot count. The Tar Heel defense limited their opponent to just two shots on goal throughout the contest, and only four shots at all throughout the game. The starting back line was able to provide enough defensive traction that, despite giving up a score, still gave the team a chance to win.
Midfielder Dorian Bailey was also a bright spot in the game, as she was able to stay aggressive in the spaces between the defense and the midfield to win balls for her team. Bailey’s hard work to keep the ball in the Tar Heels possession allowed the team to muster eight shots on goal, though they never resulted in any scores.
