In a game where goals were hard to come by, a strong defensive performance led the North Carolina women's soccer team to its second win of the season.
Despite having eight shot attempts in the first half — including four shots on goal — the Tar Heels scored just once in the period. Junior Brianna Pinto scored on an assist from Sam Meza with 29:31 remaining in the opening frame, letting the ball bounce before adjusting to it and kicking it in. That would be the only goal of the game, with the Tar Heels coming away 1-0.
“Virginia Tech made it hard for us, I want to give them full credit,” head coach Anson Dorrance said. “But I’m very proud of Pinto. Out of her midfield role, she’s consistently scoring for us. I also appreciated the way all the kids were working for each other.”
The Tar Heels also earned seven corner kicks in the opening period, though they didn't convert any into points. The aggressive play was certainly there for UNC, but the team couldn't capitalize on it in the first half beyond putting one goal on the board.
“Virginia Tech always poses a tough threat,” Pinto said. “We wanted to set the tone early. And especially at an early game at 11 a.m. ... we prided ourselves on bringing the energy from the whistle. I wanted to make sure that I was in the box every single time to give myself the best chance to score.”
On the other end, North Carolina completely shut down the Hokies offense, as Virginia Tech only managed one shot attempt in the first half. The Hokies often struggled to get any good looks at the goal or even get behind the line of defense. Dorrance credited defender Emily Fox for her abilities, and said the defense should be built around her.
“We’re trying to think of a way for us to expose our best player to a system that not only protects us but takes advantage of her unique qualities,” Dorrance said. “Her quality is just athleticism. Her skill set is magnificent. It’s on this bed of just amazing rocket power. Her acceleration and speed are among the best in the world.”
In the second half, UNC goalkeeper Claudia Dickey got her first and only save of the game, as she caught a would-be-game-tying shot attempt from Emily Gray. This was the Hokies' only shot on goal for the day.
UNC remained aggressive in the second half as it had some near scores from sophomores Isabel Cox and Izzy Brown that came up just short. The Tar Heels added 11 shot attempts and six corner kicks to their first half totals, finishing with 19 and 13, respectively.
