The UNC women's soccer team (12-3, 5-2 ACC) prevailed over Wake Forest (9-4-2, 3-4 ACC) in a 1-0 win on senior night at Dorrance Field.
What happened?
UNC established a dominant tone from the start, coming out of the gates aggressive and maintaining possession for the majority of the first ten minutes of the game.
The Tar Heels first shot came in the form of a penalty kick from first-year forward Maddie Dahlien in the third minute that soared above the goal to turn over possession of the ball.
The team was quickly able to regain control and run the ball up the field once more, resulting in a dead-on shot by junior forward and midfielder Avery Patterson from a corner kick in the seventh minute that sailed right into the hands of Wake Forest goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks.
UNC was afforded a second chance at putting a point on the board with a penalty kick in the 12th minute, but once again the ball off the foot of redshirt first-year forward Ally Sentnor sailed above the crossbar.
It seemed as if the team had finally broken through with a strong shot from graduate forward and midfielder Rachel Jones in the 33rd minute, but once again Parks was able to pick up the ball and clear it out of the box, thwarting the Tar Heel offensive yet again.
The second half began with a bang for UNC, as the Tar Heels immediately made an aggressive run down the field and clocked a shot on goal. They used this renewed energy to capitalize on a tired Wake Forest defense, and senior defender Tori Hansen was able to score off a penalty kick in the 48th minute, officially swinging the momentum of the game in favor of the Tar Heels.
Wake Forest attempted to tie the game once more, with a shot by forward Hannah Johnson off of a corner kick in the 59th minute, but the UNC defensive line held strong and maintained its lead.
