The No. 3 North Carolina women's soccer team (5-0-2, 0-0 ACC) bested No. 10 South Carolina (5-1-1, 0-0 SEC), 2-1, in its second away game and its third top-10 matchup of the season.
Riding the wave after three consecutive victories, UNC looked to continue its streak of dominance against ranked opponents following wins over No. 19 USC and No. 7 Arkansas. Maintaining a strong offensive model, the Tar Heels came out firing on all cylinders, starting with two shots on goal in the first four minutes.
After hitting the ground running with early shots on goal, the Tar Heels looked confident in dominant offensive field position, leading to a goal in the first five minutes by senior forward Avery Patterson, assisted by sophomore forward Maddie Dahlien. A second shot by sophomore forward Tori DellaPeruta sliced around South Carolina goalkeeper Heather Hinz, finding the back of the net. DellaPeruta was assisted by first-year midfielder Melina Rebimbas.
The Gamecocks struggled offensively in the first half, mustering only three shots. Coming out of the locker room for the second period, they battled back in the 49th minute with a shot by forward Shae O’Rourke reaching the back of the net.
The Tar Heels entered the match coming prepared with a focus on team-oriented play and an emphasis on disciplined shooting. UNC has now held all seven of their opponents so far to under 10 shots each. Tonight, the Tar Heels put up 19 shots against the Gamecocks, with five being on goal.
North Carolina came out on top due to a wide-spread offensive effort with a notable performance by DellaPeruta. With an aggressive offensive presence, the sophomore took the team’s main focus to heart, limiting South Carolina’s chances on offense while scoring a goal herself. UNC's collaborative offense allowed the Tar Heels to win their second SEC matchup of the season.
The Tar Heels will travel to Tuscaloosa for their next game against No. 12 Alabama this Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
