UNC's Crystal Dunn shows up big in two roles for women's soccer

CARY, N.C. — North Carolina’s Crystal Dunn is a jack of all trades and a master of one. Or two.

On Tuesday, the 5-foot-2 rookie was named ACC Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Year — the first freshman to ever win the award.

But in WakeMed Soccer Park on Wednesday, the freshman’s goal and assist helped lead the Tar Heels to a 4-2 victory against Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

“Ever since the Clemson game we’ve been using her in all three lines,” coach Anson Dorrance said. “We’ve been setting her up front, playing her in the back a bit … and then we try to ride out games with her in the midfield. That’s incredible versatility.”

Dunn notched her fifth goal of the season and the second of the game in the 26th minute, when she received a ball from junior Courtney Jones and sent it flying to the right side of the net.

With an assist on Kealia Ohai’s first score of the game, Dunn had a hand in two Tar Heel scores for the second game in a row. But during halftime, the New York native had a request.

“Crystal comes up to me just before the second half and said, ‘I’m a little banged up, I really can’t sprint right now. Do you mind if I just stay in the back?’” Dorrance said. “So we left her in the back.”

Dorrance certainly had no complaints about leaving the award-winning Dunn in her niche. And besides, he had a pool of experienced forwards to choose from.

But instead, he went out on a limb.

To fill the hole on attack, Dorrance threw freshman defender Meg Morris into the void.

“Meg is the fastest player on our roster,” Dorrance said. “She’s in thin air. There are very few people who can catch her, so once she was in, I knew she had a chance.”

Less than five minutes later, the rookie was victory dancing her way down the field after her first career score.

“Basically Kealia played (forward) Alyssa (Rich) into the ball, and I saw her receive the ball, and I just decided to make an overlapping line,” Morris said. “Alyssa just kind of flicked it past and I ran out to it.”

Morris and Dunn helped stave off the Hokies throughout the game and held the Hokies scoreless for almost 74 minutes. Both defenders were named to the ACC All-Freshman team, alongside Ohai.

Dunn has started all 20 games for the Tar Heels so far and is currently second on the team in minutes played with 1,748. As the conference’s defensive player of the year and the fifth-leading goal scorer for the Tar Heels, her versatility on the squad is undeniable.

UNC will return to Cary on Friday when it plays Wake Forest in the semifinals of the tournament, and Dunn will likely be a driving force behind the Tar Heels’ campaign to defend their title — no matter where she is on the field.

“I wish I could say I do feel more comfortable in a certain position,” Dunn said. “But I kind of just like the feeling of being able to be put somewhere.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.