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The Daily Tar Heel

Tar Heels lock down Blue Devils in second half for 2-1 victory

No. 8 North Carolina survived a tense second half, but the lone save of the game by first-year goalkeeper Alec Smir helped the Tar Heels (6-1, 2-0 ACC) edge No. 23 Duke (4-1-1, 1-1 ACC), 2-1, on Saturday night in Browns Summit, N.C.

What happened?

The first half was a back and forth affair between the storied rivals. Seven minutes into the game, sophomore Cam Lindley lofted a corner kick in front of the goal which senior Alan Winn rocketed into the net with a sharp header. In the 32nd minute, Duke equalized. Exactly eight minutes later, North Carolina took advantage of another booming set piece by Lindley, which was headed by redshirt sophomore Jelani Pieters before being finished off by sophomore Mauricio Pineda.

Entering the second half with a 2-1 lead, the Tar Heels looked to their defense to put together a scoreless frame. The unit has yet to have a shutout this season, and with Smir representing the third goalkeeper that head coach Carlos Somoano has relied on so far this season, a solid half from the back line was in serious doubt.

But the defensive performance silenced the criticism, highlighted by a diving stab by Smir to deflect a close range Duke header.

Duke had one last chance to equalize as they gathered a dangerous ball in front of the goal with just seconds on the clock. A bicycle-kick shot went just right of the goal as the time ran out, allowing UNC to escape with a 2-1 victory over the Blue Devils for the third straight season.

Who stood out?

The boot of Lindley created North Carolina’s best opportunities on goal, and UNC converted on his set pieces twice. Lindley, the number one player in last year’s recruiting class, is a known factor for the Tar Heels and showcased again why he was placed on the Hermann Trophy preseason watch list.

The presence of Smir in the goal was perhaps more unexpected for the Tar Heels. As the third goalkeeper to see playing time this season behind James Pyle and Drew Romig, Smir was tasked with holding off a top-25 Duke squad in a rivalry matchup. 

Smir’s full extension diving save in the second half indicated that he was unphased by the pressure of the situation, and was essential in stifling Duke for the final minutes of the game.

When was it decided?

It wasn’t until the buzzer sounded that North Carolina could finally exhale. If Duke’s last second bicycle-kick had been a few inches to the left, the Tar Heels would have found themselves heading to overtime against a Duke team riding the momentum of a buzzer-beater goal at the end of regulation.

Instead, the kick found itself behind the goal instead of in it and the Tar Heels prevailed over the Blue Devils.

Why does it matter?

Playing a home match over 75 miles from their already atypical home venue in Cary added another layer of intrigue to an already important ACC rivalry match.

With the as-yet inconsistent play of the defense, the Tar Heels hoped to take some positive momentum from the game. They certainly gave themselves that opportunity by putting together the win as they head into the depths of conference play in the notoriously potent ACC. 

When do they play next?

UNC hosts George Washington at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C on Tuesday, September 19th at 7 p.m.

@James_Tatter

sports@dailytarheel.com

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