When a team doubles the other team in shots taken, it typically makes winning the game a lot easier.
This, however, was not the case in the No. 5 North Carolina women’s soccer team’s game against the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels held a 20-10 shot advantage, but the match ended in a scoreless draw.
There were moments throughout the game where shots that normally would go in just didn’t. This was for a variety of reasons, one of them being that Virginia goalkeeper Laurel Ivory played what UNC head coach Anson Dorrance called "the best game I've ever seen her play."
Another reason was missed opportunities by the Tar Heels offense. Having 20 shots with only five of them being on goal is not ideal. Multiple times throughout the game, potential scoring chances were booted left, right and over the goal.
“The sport that delivers the dominant team least often is soccer," Dorrance said. "All of a sudden you play a team, you outshoot them 20-to-1 and you lose on their one shot. I wasn’t disappointed in our play, I wasn’t disappointed in our effort, I was just disappointed in our finishing. It’s maddening.”
The UNC offense returned a key piece today in first-year forward Emily Murphy, who missed three games due to injury. Despite missing time, she still entered Sunday’s game as the Tar Heels’ points leader.
However, even Murphy couldn’t help the team put anything on the scoreboard. Although two of her three shots were on goal, the one that sailed high could’ve won the game in the second overtime period.
“Murphy has a professional polish and a professional future that’s absolutely unique,” Dorrance said. “To get her back is extraordinary, but she missed a sitter in the second overtime period, she had a volley seven yards out, so she’s got a little bit of rust from her injury that she’s gotta knock off to get back to top form.”
Of course, though, you can’t achieve a draw without scoring a goal if your defense doesn’t show out, especially against the No. 2 team in the nation.
