University of North Carolina Athletics
Jessie Scarpa's corner kick helped key the Tar Heels' tie with Notre Dame.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
GoHeels Exclusive: Scarpa Lifts Tar Heels, Olympic Sport Notes
October 27, 2017 | Women's Soccer, Featured Writers
by Pat James
CARY — In 45 games with the North Carolina women's soccer team, Jessie Scarpa had attempted only one corner kick. But with 30 seconds remaining in Thursday's match at WakeMed Soccer Park, that didn't matter.
The Tar Heels hadn't scored in the first 89-and-a-half minutes against Notre Dame. And with the clock winding down and the Fighting Irish leading 1-0, UNC looked like it might be shut out for the second straight game after Alessia Russo's shot was blocked over the end line.
But Scarpa reacted. Standing in the box, she sprinted to the right corner flag, where she arrived with 22 seconds left. She placed the ball down. She took four steps back. And she fired.
A line drive, the ball sailed into the middle of the box, where Bridgette Andrzejewski headed the ball off the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net with 15 seconds left. The goal sent the game into overtime, where UNC earned a 1-1 tie.
"That's an experienced player making a great decision," said Anson Dorrance of Scarpa's corner kick.
The assist marked Scarpa's first for the Tar Heels (12-2-2, 8-0-2 ACC) since she registered one in a 3-0 win over Liberty on Nov. 13, 2015. It also came in just her fourth game back from a knee injury that sidelined her for nearly two months.
Scarpa's averaged just 25 minutes since returning from her injury. Her 27 on Thursday matched the most she's played in that span. But Dorrance said he's seen her make steady improvements.
"If we can get Scarpa back, we go to a completely different dimension," Dorrance said. "Tonight was her best performance since her injury … We're only playing her 10 minutes a half. But even in those 10 minutes, you can see a little bit of flash in her that we know she's got in her as an extraordinary collegiate player."
Montaño helps provide boost
Through the first two rounds of the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational, the men's golf team sat in a tie for 11th place with a score of 16-over-par. But behind Jose Montaño, the Tar Heels left the tournament with some momentum.
Montaño shot a 4-under 68 in the third round, which tied for the third-lowest score on Tuesday and tied him for 31st at 4-over. His performance helped UNC shoot a 4-under 284, the fourth-best team round of the three-day tournament, and finish ninth overall.
With his third-round 68, Montaño paces the Tar Heels with four rounds in the 60s this season. His stroke average of 71.42 ranks third on the team.
Hauder keeps impressing
After winning two individuals events in the Georgia dual meet on Oct. 6, Caroline Hauder continued her hot start with the women's swimming and diving team on Thursday.
In the 19th-ranked UNC women's 159-141 victory over the 22nd-ranked South Carolina women, Hauder won both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke. Her times of 1:01.81 and 2:15.32, respectively, each surpassed those from the Georgia meet.
Hauder also teamed with Caroline Baldwin, Brooke Bauer and Maddie Smith to win the 200-yard medley relay in 1:40.45. In her final event, Hauder finished second in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:00.92.
The Tar Heel men, who South Carolina defeated 168-132, also received some encouraging performances from freshmen. Alvin Jiang won the 100-yard backstroke and butterfly, Valdas Abaliksta took the 100-yard breaststroke and Dimitrios Dimitriou finished first in the 200-yard freestyle.
An All-UNC affair
Boasting three of the four doubles tandems in the semifinals of the ITA Carolinas Regional, the women's tennis team seemed destined to win the title. It was just a matter which pair would seize it.
On Monday at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center, that duo proved to be the team of Jessie Aney and Alexa Graham, who defeated teammates Alle Sanford and Sara Daavettila in the finals, 6-1, 6-3.
Aney and Graham, ranked No. 12 in the nation, advanced to the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships with the win. Sanford will join them, having qualified in singles after winning the Oracle ITA Masters in September.
CARY — In 45 games with the North Carolina women's soccer team, Jessie Scarpa had attempted only one corner kick. But with 30 seconds remaining in Thursday's match at WakeMed Soccer Park, that didn't matter.
The Tar Heels hadn't scored in the first 89-and-a-half minutes against Notre Dame. And with the clock winding down and the Fighting Irish leading 1-0, UNC looked like it might be shut out for the second straight game after Alessia Russo's shot was blocked over the end line.
But Scarpa reacted. Standing in the box, she sprinted to the right corner flag, where she arrived with 22 seconds left. She placed the ball down. She took four steps back. And she fired.
A line drive, the ball sailed into the middle of the box, where Bridgette Andrzejewski headed the ball off the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net with 15 seconds left. The goal sent the game into overtime, where UNC earned a 1-1 tie.
"That's an experienced player making a great decision," said Anson Dorrance of Scarpa's corner kick.
The assist marked Scarpa's first for the Tar Heels (12-2-2, 8-0-2 ACC) since she registered one in a 3-0 win over Liberty on Nov. 13, 2015. It also came in just her fourth game back from a knee injury that sidelined her for nearly two months.
Scarpa's averaged just 25 minutes since returning from her injury. Her 27 on Thursday matched the most she's played in that span. But Dorrance said he's seen her make steady improvements.
"If we can get Scarpa back, we go to a completely different dimension," Dorrance said. "Tonight was her best performance since her injury … We're only playing her 10 minutes a half. But even in those 10 minutes, you can see a little bit of flash in her that we know she's got in her as an extraordinary collegiate player."
Montaño helps provide boost
Through the first two rounds of the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational, the men's golf team sat in a tie for 11th place with a score of 16-over-par. But behind Jose Montaño, the Tar Heels left the tournament with some momentum.
Montaño shot a 4-under 68 in the third round, which tied for the third-lowest score on Tuesday and tied him for 31st at 4-over. His performance helped UNC shoot a 4-under 284, the fourth-best team round of the three-day tournament, and finish ninth overall.
With his third-round 68, Montaño paces the Tar Heels with four rounds in the 60s this season. His stroke average of 71.42 ranks third on the team.
Hauder keeps impressing
After winning two individuals events in the Georgia dual meet on Oct. 6, Caroline Hauder continued her hot start with the women's swimming and diving team on Thursday.
In the 19th-ranked UNC women's 159-141 victory over the 22nd-ranked South Carolina women, Hauder won both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke. Her times of 1:01.81 and 2:15.32, respectively, each surpassed those from the Georgia meet.
Hauder also teamed with Caroline Baldwin, Brooke Bauer and Maddie Smith to win the 200-yard medley relay in 1:40.45. In her final event, Hauder finished second in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:00.92.
The Tar Heel men, who South Carolina defeated 168-132, also received some encouraging performances from freshmen. Alvin Jiang won the 100-yard backstroke and butterfly, Valdas Abaliksta took the 100-yard breaststroke and Dimitrios Dimitriou finished first in the 200-yard freestyle.
An All-UNC affair
Boasting three of the four doubles tandems in the semifinals of the ITA Carolinas Regional, the women's tennis team seemed destined to win the title. It was just a matter which pair would seize it.
On Monday at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center, that duo proved to be the team of Jessie Aney and Alexa Graham, who defeated teammates Alle Sanford and Sara Daavettila in the finals, 6-1, 6-3.
Aney and Graham, ranked No. 12 in the nation, advanced to the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships with the win. Sanford will join them, having qualified in singles after winning the Oracle ITA Masters in September.
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