On Friday night, North Carolina (1-0) fought off a tough challenge from Central Florida (0-1) to claim its season opener at Fetzer Field. The No. 9 Tar Heels battled through a poor first half and tallied two goals in a dominant second period to secure a 2-0 victory.
What happened?
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, as the Tar Heels struggled to gain their footing in a scoreless period. Each team had a chance to score, but neither could capitalize.
That changed in the second half.
After the Knights' Carol Rodrigues blasted a penalty kick over the crossbar in the 50th minute, the Tar Heels quickly rallied for their first goal of the season. Senior midfielder Sarah Ashley Firstenberg headed the ball past the goalie, courtesy of an impressive assist from redshirt junior defender Maya Worth.
North Carolina continued to control the possession and flow of the game after its first goal, adding another goal in the 64th minute off a header from junior midfielder Alex Kimball — who had subbed in for Firstenberg just seconds earlier.
Who stood out?
Firstenberg impressed in the second half for North Carolina, breaking the deadlock in the 53rd minute and giving North Carolina the offensive surge needed to push forward and seal the game.
First-year Bridgette Andrzejewski showed off her skills throughout the game, giving the Tar Heels a much-needed boost off the bench in the first half. Though she didn't score, the midfielder helped create several chances and looked like a natural starter in the second half.
