UNC women's soccer blanks Boston College, 3-0, to remain atop ACC

The North Carolina women’s soccer team notched a 3-0 win over Boston College (8-5-2, 1-5-1) on Thursday to close out a three-game road stretch. Two early goals by UNC defenders and a perfect defensive sheet improved the Tar Heels to 13-1-1 for the year and 6-0-1 in the ACC.

What happened?

The Tar Heels dominated from the start, putting up two goals in the first 20 minutes to take an early lead over the Eagles.

In the eighth minute, first-year defender Maycee Bell put UNC on the board and snagged her first career goal after a header off a corner kick. Junior defender Lotte Wubben-Moy assisted in Bell’s goal, then would put up her own in the 19th minute. 

After a hand ball by BC’s Jade Ruiters, Wubben-Moy stepped up to take the penalty kick and shot to the left side of the goal, beating BC goalkeeper Allie Augur and notching her third goal of the season. Wubben-Moy’s three scores this season have all come from penalty kicks. 

Later in the first half, both teams saw good opportunities to grab a goal, but the goalkeepers shut down the chances. UNC’s starting first-year goalkeeper, Marz Josephson, made two big saves before halftime while BC’s Augur made four saves on UNC. 

UNC outshined BC in the first half offensively. The Tar Heels led 10-4 in shots in the first and had a 6-2 edge in shots on goal. UNC also saw three corner kicks, two more than BC. 

In the second half, UNC’s offense was led by sophomore forward Rachel Jones. Jones saw three good scoring chances and was eventually rewarded by finding the back of the net in the 80th minute. 

Who stood out?

UNC’s shutdown defense and rock-solid goalkeeping from Josephson and sophomore Claudia Dickey blanked the Eagles. 

Bell, meanwhile, is a rising star for the Tar Heels and her game keeps getting better every game. Head coach Anson Dorrance said he thinks that she's in the running for best defender in the conference even as a first-year.

Bell was injured for the Arkansas matchup, and the team gave up two goals. And when Wubben-Moy was out for the Washington game, the team gave up two more goals. With both Bell and Wubben-Moy on the field, though, the Tar Heels have not allowed a goal this season. 

When was it decided?

UNC’s early aggression led them to the victory.

“The first 20 minutes was one of the best starts we’ve had,” Dorrance said. “This team this season has been notoriously poor starters. What I really appreciated about our kids today is that we challenged them to come out of the gate like they were shot out of a cannon, and that’s exactly what they did.” 

The first-half dominance and a defense that gave up few BC chances secured the win. 

Why does it matter?

This victory over Boston College keeps the Tar Heels at the top of the ACC standings. This is crucial heading into next week as UNC takes on rival Florida State, currently sitting at second in the ACC, in a home matchup.

When do they play next?

UNC takes on the Seminoles in Chapel Hill on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m., while fans can also catch the game on the ACC Network. 

@macyemeyer

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com