No. 4 UNC women's soccer roars past Clemson, 6-0

The No. 4 UNC women’s soccer team (14-2, 7-1 ACC) defeated the Clemson Tigers (6-5-3, 2-5 ACC), 6-0, on Thursday night at Dorrance Field. 

The Tar Heels outshot the Tigers 24-7 and recorded 14 shots on goals compared to Clemson's two. After suffering its first conference loss against Stanford 1-0, UNC bounced back led by the efforts of junior midfielder Kate Faasse, sophomore forward Olivia Thomas and junior forward Maddie Dahlien. 

"It's when maybe it doesn't go your way that you're feeling down or disappointed that it's even more so that you stay connected and we were," interim head coach Damon Nahas said. 

North Carolina dominated possession from the beginning of the game. 

As the Tigers struggled to break into Tar Heel territory, UNC notched a corner kick opportunity and a shot on goal within three minutes. 

With the team continuing to attack the Tigers’ defense with the same ferocity, North Carolina found the back of the net by the 15th minute. 

After Dahlien drew a foul inside the box, the Tar Heels were awarded a penalty kick. From the spot, senior midfielder Bella Sember hit a high shot into the top right side of the net. 

North Carolina continued with the same attack and in the 38th minute found the net once again. 

Trailed by two defenders, sophomore forward Olivia Thomas received the ball from graduate midfielder Aria Nagai. Taking a touch around the two Clemson players, Thomas found space in the middle of box for a goal. 

Going into halftime, the Tar Heels led 2-0. By the end of the period, North Carolina outshot the Tiger 9-2 with five of its shots being on goal. 

"That's just really starting to build and you're really starting to see us connect," Dahlien said. "And I'm just really excited to see where that can go." 

Within the first 10 minutes of the second half, Faasse found a loose ball after Clemson’s Sydney Minarik couldn’t hold onto it. 

Faasse outran Minarik, entering the box with no defenders around her. The midfielder hit a high ball into the right side of the net. 

Less than four minutes later, Dahlien extended the Tar Heels’ lead to four in the 58th minute after she was fouled again in the box. The forward hit the ball into the bottom left corner. 

"What's in front of her is extraordinary because of the work [Dahlien] has put in," Nahas said. "So, she's gonna make it difficult for years and years to come."

The Tar Heels worked to put the game completely out of reach in the 70th minute after redshirt junior forward Emerson Elgin recorded her first career goal. 

Off a corner kick, Elgin received the ball at the top left corner of the box, quickly sending it back into the bottom of the goal. 

And after graduate defender Alexa Wojnovich found the same opportunity at the top of the box in the 87th minute to make the game 6-0, Clemson was never able to respond.

North Carolina will travel to Tallahassee to play No. 22 Florida State next Friday at 7 p.m. 

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