Misfortune plagues women's soccer in ACC Tournament

CARY — Instead of the usual cheers and pre-game chatter, WakeMed Soccer Park resounded with a single question.

The fourth-seeded North Carolina women’s soccer team began warming up Friday night in the ACC semi-final against No. 3 seed Florida State, but a notable face was missing. Confusion was palpable and a murmur arose in the stands as fans turned to one another to ask: Where is Crystal Dunn?

Unbeknownst to FSU or the 5,192 spectators until minutes before the initial whistle, Dunn, UNC’s leading scorer and ACC offensive player of the year, had suffered a hamstring injury that would keep her off the field.

“We hope to get her back eventually,” coach Anson Dorrance said. “Obviously it’s not much fun playing without such a quality player.”

But Dunn’s injury was not the only stroke of misfortune the Tar Heels faced in the team’s 2-1 overtime loss to FSU.

A battle for possession in the midfield defined the first half, but neither team created many promising scoring opportunities.

For a team that tends to outshoot its opponents two or three fold, the Tar Heels only mustered one shot more than FSU in the first half.

The second half provided a more exciting storyline. UNC’s brisk speed immediately forced the Seminoles into the defensive position.

With fewer than two minutes in the game, Ohai and freshman Amber Munerlyn strung together a series of passes in the midfield and connected with senior Meg Morris, who was making a run up the right sideline. Morris took a touch and slotted a diagonal shot into the far post netting, earning her first goal of the season and the advantage for the Tar Heels.

“It was a great series between Munerlyn and Ohai, and Meg finished a great chance,” Dorrance said.

UNC clung to the lead despite dangerous threats from FSU, including a Seminole deflection off the crossbar that licked the goal line. As the final minutes ticked away, it appeared that UNC would leave victorious until a defensive frenzy in the box forced a miscalculated UNC header that found the team’s own net.

In an unprecedented turn of events, a second own goal sealed UNC’s fate in golden goal overtime.

Nearly three minutes into the period, FSU’s Jamia Fields sent a deep cross into the goal box over the heads of the UNC backline. Two defenders ran toward the goal in an effort to flick the ball away, but it skidded, instead, off a Tar Heel shin into the far post.

“The (FSU) outside midfielder served a great ball across,” said goalkeeper Anna Sieloff. “It had a lot of pace to it. I think it was just a miscommunication, and an unfortunate clearance.”

While the Seminole players joyously collapsed on Fields, UNC defenders stood frozen in disbelief. The loss was the team’s fourth consecutive to FSU and the second without Dunn in the lineup this season.

“I don’t think if you look down our roster you could list the word ‘composure’ next to too many of (our players),” Dorrance said. “A lot of our players play like a cat on a hot tin roof, and when you’ve got that as your nature, it’s going to be very difficult to sit on any type of lead.”

sports@dailytarheel.com