The No. 1 North Carolina women’s soccer team (9-0-4, 4-0-1 ACC) defeated Miami (3-6-3, 2-3 ACC), in a composed 1-0 finish at Dorrance Field on Thursday.
The Tar Heels demonstrated their patience and composure against a dominantly defensive Miami side, once again proving their spot at the top-ranked position in the Division I rankings.
Starting in an aggressive form, the Tar Heels took control of the first 15 minutes of the game. Holding a significant majority of possession in their attacking half, UNC produced four shots, with three being on goal, compared to the Hurricanes' zero.
This aggressiveness was soon translated into an inside-the-box goal from junior midfielder Emily Colton off an assist of senior forward Avery Patterson in the 16th minute.
“The ball got to Avery out on the left, and knowing the player Avery is, I knew she was gonna be the player to get the ball in the box," Colton said.
The Tar Heels took control of the momentum, exploiting every weakness of the Miami defense and continuously maintaining pressure on both ends of the ball.
Despite the Tar Heels’ majority of play time in their own attacking half, there was still a struggle to truly produce around and inside the box, keeping the score a familiar 1-0 for the first 45 minutes of the game.
The collective team effort from North Carolina helped give an advantage, with five different players producing a total of six shots in the first frame.
Miami goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais stood out for the Hurricanes, producing acrobatic stops and finishing the match with eight saves.
