CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — The No. 10 North Carolina women's soccer team defeated No. 6 Notre Dame, 2-1, in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Charleston, South Carolina, on Friday.
What happened?
Coming into the game, Notre Dame had held opponents to just seven goals on the season. But as the first half got underway, UNC pressed hard to challenge the Fighting Irish back line.
This tactic worked wonders for the Tar Heels, as they forced Notre Dame into several fouls just outside the box. UNC was able to capitalize on one of these set pieces in the 22nd minute, as an Annie Kingman free kick hit the right post and bounced across goal, where Maya Worth knocked it in to give North Carolina a 1-0 lead.
The Tar Heels kept the pressure on for the final 23 minutes of the first half, heading into the break with a 1-0 lead and a 9-3 shot advantage.
Notre Dame aimed to flip things around in the second half, and did so in the 72nd minute. After turning away from the Fighting Irish press, UNC defender Maggie Bill tried to make a back pass to keeper Lindsey Harris. The pass was intercepted by Notre Dame's Kaleigh Olmstead, who beat Harris and put it home to tie the game.
North Carolina didn't let the mistake define it, however, as the Tar Heels battled back to take the lead with less than five minutes left in the game. In the 86th minute, Bridgette Andrzejewski fired a cross to the middle of the box, where Annie Kingman put her foot on the ball and sent it into the back of the net.
Who stood out?
Worth's goal in the first half was her first of the season. The redshirt junior converted positions from outside back to forward before the start of the 2016 season, and has climbed her way into the starting lineup in the latter half of the season.
