Senior Ashley and first-year Dorwart power UNC women's soccer to NCAA Tournament win

CARY — If the North Carolina women’s soccer team was cold Friday night, it didn’t show it. Despite the frigid temperatures at WakeMed Soccer Park, the Tar Heels remained hot as they cruised to a 4-1 victory over Kansas, advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

For a team that’s had fluctuations in the lineup throughout the season, including a season-ending injury to top goalscorer Alessia Russo, North Carolina (19-3-1, 10-0 ACC) has consistently found ways to put the ball in the back of the net. 

On Friday, it was senior defender Julia Ashley leading the offensive charge against Kansas (12-6-3, 5-4 Big 12), registering a career-high three assists in the game. In the 3-4-3 system that head coach Anson Dorrance deploys, wing-backs like Ashley are empowered to attack and make plays for their teammates. 

“I have a natural tendency to go forward,” Ashley said. “Sometimes it’s honestly probably too much … I think that’s a threat I have as being an outside-back, I’m able to attack as well as defend.” 

The attack caught Kansas off guard. It’s not every day that a team encounters a press as aggressive as UNC's. That means increased opportunities for the backs like Ashley to get crosses up the field, including an arcing pass Ashley had early in the first half that led to a goal by midfielder Brianna Pinto. 

Assists are only valuable if there is a player there and able to convert on shot attempts. Pinto converted one shot, midfielder Annie Kingman another. But it was first-year Rachael Dorwart who stood out amongst the team. 

Dorwart scored two goals, the first multi-goal game of her career, converting assists from Ashley as well as Pinto and forward Ru Mucherera. The midfielder was named a starter at the beginning of the year, before being moved to the bench after the seventh game and she saw her minutes decrease as the season went on. 

But injuries and lineup changes create new opportunities, and in Dorwart’s case, she capitalized. 

“Just going into the playoffs, I knew with Alessia being hurt someone had to step up,” Dorwart said. “In practices I’ve been really working hard to get these opportunities for myself in the game, and then once they come I try and finish them.” 

In other programs, it’s possible a first-year wouldn’t have seen the field at all after struggling early on. But Dorrance has always had a different mindset. 

“Our philosophy is to play the kids we recruit,” Dorrance said. 

For a team that often plays 18, 19, even 20 players in a game, Dorwart found minutes. When her number was called, she was ready. 

“We invested in her, we played her in every half all year,” Dorrance said. “And now she’s paying us back … She’s starting to play the best soccer that she’s played in college.”

Newcomers might have stolen the show for this game, but North Carolina will still need to rely on leaders like Ashley to make it further in the tournament. 

For Ashley, this tournament represents the last chance she’ll have to get recognition for the next level. She graduates at the end of the semester. She’s a top prospect for the National Women's Soccer League draft. But before that, she’s got unfinished business. All the seniors do. 

Whether or not this team can do what UNC hasn’t done since 2012 remains to be seen. But everyone on the team, from first-years to seniors knows those two words they want to add to their resumes. 

National champions.

@bg_keyes

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com