Women's soccer breaks through tough defense to score in second half

DURHAM - The North Carolina women's soccer team is not used to being out-muscled.

So Alabama-Birmingham came out Sunday pushing and shoving in an effort to throw the Tar Heels for a loop. And it worked - sort of.

The Blazers earned two yellow cards in the first 10 minutes of the match and ended up with four for the game. Physicality: check.

But it was No. 1 North Carolina who won the war of the scoreboard Sunday with a 4-0 victory in the finale of the Duke adidas Classic at Koskinen Stadium.

"We just know that they're very physical," said UAB coach Paul Harbin. "They are going to win battles in the air. They are going to win battles on the ground. And they pride themselves on the ability to do that. We just wanted to match them."

The Blazers' aggressive approach was something North Carolina sees a lot. When you're the best program in your sport's history, teams are going to get a little pumped up to face you.

"This is a big game for their season," said senior midfielder Lori Chalupny, the victim of two second-half fouls that resulted in UAB yellow cards.

"So they came out with a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of intensity. That translates to fouls sometimes, just aggressive play. But, you know, that's part of the fun of the game."

They prepare for it, too, Chalupny said, with intense practices.

"The way we battle in practice you'd be amazed. We're going one v. one against each other, taking each other out."

So when UAB came out tough, North Carolina responded tougher. The Tar Heels - in what has become somewhat of a trend in the past 26 years - proceeded to control the ball in UAB's end and dominate play.

In the first half North Carolina registered 21 shots to just one for the Blazers, but the halftime score was still knotted at zero, as UAB packed in the defense and didn't allow one of those 21 into the net.

"A lot of teams are going to play in their own half and try to get 11 players behind the ball," said UNC Coach Anson Dorrance. "It's hard to penetrate that number of players in the back where they are playing with some passion and defensive intensity."

In the second half, the North Carolina assault on goal continued with no results but several near-misses. Midfielder Yael Averbuch hit the crossbar on a free kick. Later, a Heather O'Reilly half-volley was pulled in with a diving save by UAB keeper Katie Forbis, who notched an astounding 16 saves in the match.

Finally, with 15:28 to play, the Tar Heels broke through with a Kendall Fletcher goal - followed by a Kendall Fletcher somersault - that came off a corner kick by Kacey White and a trap and feed from Elizabeth Guess.

The final tally read like a blowout with a 4-0 score and a 39-1 advantage in shots for the Tar Heels, but UAB muscled its way to a tight game until late in the second half. The Blazers just couldn't bully the biggest bullies in the NCAA for 90 minutes.

"Carolina wears you down," Harbin said. "They just go, they go, they go, they go and they go, and they've got the depth and eventually the other team wears out."

 

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.