Heels' Balanced Offensive Firepower Lifts UNC Past Orange

Saturday, September 30

Cary, N.C.

12:00 p.m.

North Carolina

8-2,ACC 4-0

Syracuse

5-4-2,ACC 0-2-1

Syracuse

North Carolina

Joanna Boyles' hat trick led a seven-goal effort for the Tar Heels.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

September 30, 2017 | Women's Soccer

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Joanna Boyles records first career hat trick

By: Dave Lohse

CARY, N.C. – Led by Joanna Boyles' first career hat trick and Dorian Bailey's goal and two assists, the fifth-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team rolled past Syracuse 7-0 before 710 fans at WakeMed Soccer Park Saturday afternoon.

UNC improved to 8-2 on the season and 4-0 in the ACC with the victory while Syracuse fell to 5-4-2 overall and 0-2-1 in league play.

Boyles had the second hat trick this season for a Tar Heel player and just the second by any Tar Heel since 2013. Bailey continued her scorching scoring streak over the past few games with a goal and two assists and Emily Fox recorded three assists in the match for Coach Anson Dorrance's team. Morgan Goff and Madison Schultz each scored their first goals of the season in the second half and Alessia Russo earned her third game-winning goal of the season when she tallied in the 16^th minute. Both Abby Staker and Nicole Crutchfield recorded the first points of their UNC careers with assists on Schultz's goal in the 83^rd minute.

The seven goals were the most the Tar Heels have scored in an ACC game since September 17, 1999 when UNC defeated Florida State 9-0 in a game played in Winston-Salem, N.C., after Hurricane Floyd had made Fetzer Field unplayable. The seven tallies were the most by the Tar Heels against any opponent since August 23, 2015 when UNC defeated Fresno State 7-0 at Fetzer Field.

North Carolina finished with a 26-8 edge in shots in the game, including an 18-4 margin in shots on frame. Carolina also led in corner kicks 8-2. Samantha Leshnak made four saves for Carolina to record her fifth solo shutout of the season. She twice had to stop breakaways to preserve her clean sheet. Leshnak has solo shutouts this year against Auburn, UNCW, Florida State, Clemson and Syracuse.

While Courtney Brosnan played 61:28 in goal for Syracuse and allowed five goals her play actually prevented the Tar Heels from making matters even worse for the Orange and she made 11 saves, many of the acrobatic variety.

Syracuse nearly gained an early advantage after a turnover in the midfield by the Tar Heels. Sydney Brackett dribbled in alone on Leshnak but the Tar Heel keeper come out to cut down the angle and make the stop in the 11^th minute of play.

Given the early reprieve, the Tar Heels poured it on shortly afterwards, scoring three goals in less than eight minutes to go ahead 3-0 by the 24^th minute of the game. At 15:27, UNC took the lead as Alessio Russo sent a cross far 25 yards out on the left side. Dorian Bailey made a run on the play and appeared positioned to head it home but she dummied it, distracting Brosnan just enough to let Russo's cross settle into the right side netting for her fourth goal of the season and third game-winner. Bridgette Andrzejewski assisted on the goal.

In the 22^nd minute, Joanna Boyles was taken down in the box and she stepped to the 12-yard spot and powered her penalty kick into the back of the goal to put the Tar Heels up 2-0 at 21:07 with her fourth goal of the season. At 23:17, Boyles earned her brace with a spectacular goal from the left side of the box, redirecting Dorian Bailey's perfect cross from the far right side back across the frame and past Brosnan. Emily Fox also assisted on the goal.

North Carolina made it 4-0 at 34:30 as Bailey scored a goal for the fourth straight game, running through the box to finish a chance that had been sent on by Emily Fox. Taylor Otto also assisted on the goal after sending a long cross into the box that initially found Fox.

The Tar Heels continued to find the back of the net in the second half. In the 56^th minute, Boyles concluded her hat trick as she scored on a header redirected to the opposite side of the net which just eluded the hands of Brosnan and then caromed off the right post and in. Julia Ashley and Emily Fox assisted on the goal. Fox's assist on that goal gave her three for the game. The last time a Tar Heel player had three assists in a game was August 29, 2010 when both Kelly McFarlane and Courtney Jones recorded three assists in a victory over Missouri.

For Boyles, she became just the second Tar Heel since Crystal Dunn had a hat trick against Miami in 2013 to record a three-goal game. Taylor Otto also had one earlier this year against South Florida.

UNC would score twice more against Syracuse reserve goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx. At 69:10, Morgan Goff scored her first goal of the season on a header off a corner kick by Dorian Bailey. Then at 82:54, Madison Schultz tallied her first goal of the campaign, sending a hard shot from the left side of the box into the opposite side of the net. Both Abby Staker (throw in) and Nicole Crutchfield (send on to Schultz) celebrated assists and their first career points on the goal.

Leshnak would need to make one more stop to preserve her shutout as she made a kick save on a breakaway effort by the Orange's Alex Lamontagne at the 87:11 mark.

The Tar Heels will be on the road for their next four matches beginning with a trip to Coral Gables, Fla., to meet the Miami Hurricanes Thursday at 7 p.m. The game will be webcast nationally on ACC Network Extra with live streaming on WatchESPN.