And with Friday’s victory — a 2-0 win over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits — No. 6 UNC has a chance to continue that record for the 33rd straight year after clinching a second round berth.
The Tar Heels controlled the first half of the game with their furious pace and movement, both on and off the ball. Their 11 first-half shots to South Dakota State’s zero led to a comfortable two-goal lead at the break.
“We knew they were going to be incredibly athletic, very attack oriented,” South Dakota State coach Lang Wedemeyer said. “They’ve got so much talent, we were a little bit nervous, a little bit anxious coming in.”
UNC struck first in the 16th minute with a superb buildup and individual run by sophomore forward Amber Munerlyn. A long pass from UNC’s defensive half found sophomore forward Emily Bruder and two SDSU defenders fighting for possession on the left side as the Tar Heels attacked. Bruder left the ball for a streaking Munerlyn, who juked between the two defenders and calmly slotted home into the bottom left corner to go up by one.
Just a few minutes before halftime, UNC doubled its lead. A deflected UNC shot veered to the right corner of the pitch, near the goalie box. Sophomore midfielder Maya Worth got to it first with a one-touch low cross sent back into goal that found a wide-open junior forward Paige Nielsen for the easy tap in, and the 2-0 lead.
But as darkness fell on Fetzer Field around halftime and the temperature continued to drop well into the 30s, the Tar Heels looked complacent as they rode out their 2-0 lead in the second half.
“Not particularly proud of the way we played but at this juncture, advancement is the priority,” said Coach Anson Dorrance of his team’s first-round performance. “In the second half, (SDSU) dug in and played very hard and determined. To their credit, we couldn’t get any more separation from them.”
Nielsen, who scored the game’s second goal, admitted the cold weather did take its toll but wouldn’t leave room for any excuses.
