Wake Forest halts UNC’s momentum

While a win against Wake Forest would have guaranteed the North Carolina women’s soccer seniors another home game, Sunday’s 2-1 loss will make it difficult for the Tar Heels to earn home-field advantage in next weekend’s ACC tournament.

No. 10 UNC lost to No. 13 Wake Forest in a close contest for sole possession of third place in the ACC.

Strong play by Wake Forest players on both ends of the pitch made it difficult for UNC to execute its game plan.

In the 25th minute, a fast break goal by Wake Forest forward Katie Stengel gave the Demon Deacons a lead they would not relinquish.

“I told the kids that if we give her two shots, she’s going to score on one of them,” coach Anson Dorrance said. “That really put us behind the eight ball.”

On the other end, Wake Forest goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe gobbled up numerous crosses and frustrated the Tar Heel attackers.

“I don’t think we challenged her enough,” said Summer Green, who scored UNC’s only goal of the day. “I also think she did really well because she came out on all the crosses.”

The inability to create offensively kept the Tar Heels down 1-0 at halftime.

Early in the second half, a goal by Wake Forest’s Annick McBryar off a corner nearly put the game away.

But Green’s goal in the 60th minute put the Tar Heels back in the game after UNC’s Crystal Dunn rifled a shot off the crossbar. Green was there to tap in the rebound.

“I just tried to get my butt in there,” Green said. “I just tried to stay low and finish it.”

From that point on, UNC kept the Demon Deacons on their heels, earning six corners and tallying seven shots in the second half.

But as UNC put more pressure on Wake Forest’s defense, it seemed to become more difficult for the Tar Heels to score.

“It’s sort of like scoring in football in the red zone,” Dorrance said. “If you’ve gone that far, now it’s easier for your opponent to defend.”

The Demon Deacons seemed to have an answer for just about everything the Tar Heels had to throw at them.

“They were very organized defensively today, and they were very efficient offensively,” said redshirt senior goalkeeper Adelaide Gay. “They took advantage of their opportunities.”

The loss came after UNC handled Duke 2-0, and the Tar Heels are left with just N.C. State on the schedule.

“As tough as this loss was,” Gay said, “I have no doubt that when our season’s on the line that our team will bring it.”

The Tar Heels will have to do just that if they want to compete with the seven other ranked ACC teams in the looming conference championship.

sports@dailytarheel.com.