University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Yale (Carolina Nike Classic)
Gilbert's 81st Minute Goal Lifts Tar Heels Past Bulldogs
September 4, 2005 | Women's Soccer
Sept. 4, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sophomore forward Jaime Gilbert scored the game-winning goal for the third straight game as the North Carolina women's soccer team defeated Yale 1-0 Sunday afternoon in the Carolina Nike Classic. Gilbert's goal came in the 81st minute as the Tar Heels improved to 4-0-0 before crowd of 3,218 at Fetzer Field.
The winning goal was set up by midfielder Lori Chalupny, a senior from St. Louis, Mo., as she took a pass from Heather O'Reilly and dribbled through three Yale defenders and into the box. Chalupny then pushed the ball to Gilbert on the right side of the penalty area and the North Andover, Mass. native slotted the ball into the lower left of the goal after slipping by the Bulldog defense and drawing Yale goalkeeper Susan Starr off her line. It was the fourth goal of the season for Gilbert and the third successive game in which she scored the game-winner for the Tar Heels.
North Carolina (No. 2 NSCAA poll/No. 1 Soccer America/No. 1 Soccer Buzz, No. 2 Soccer Times) had 25 shots in the game and nine corner kicks. The Bulldogs (0-2) took eight shots and three corner kicks. Yale was more successful in putting its shots on goal as the Bulldogs made Tar Heel senior goalkeeper Aly Winget make six saves on the eight shots by Yale. The Tar Heels had only six out of their 25 shots on goal. Chloe Beizer made two saves in the first half for Yale and Susan Starr had two in the second half. The Bulldogs also made a team save.
Winget's six saves were the most she has made in a game since September 10, 2004 when she also had six in a 0-0 overtime time against Tennessee. She increased her career record total saves in a UNC uniform to 185 and she recorded her 30th solo shutout in her four years, just four short of the ACC record for the category.
After Carolina had scored on Gilbert's goal at 80:28, the Bulldogs had a tremendous chance to tie the game in the the 87th minute. Winget smothered Crysti Howser's shot with 3:20 remaining in the game after Howser had gotten behind the defense and when Howser blasted the rebound at Winget five seconds later she saved that scoring chance as well. Eventually, UNC's Kendall Fletcher corralled the ball and cleared it over the end line for a corner kick. Emma Whitfield had the final shot of the game for Yale with 2:40 to play off the ensuing corner kick. The Tar Heels were then able to kill off the remainder of the clock and O'Reilly almost made the score 2-0 in the game's last 10 seconds but was denied by Starr. Heather O'Reilly was named the offensive Most Valuable Player for the Tar Heels in the Carolina Nike Classic and Kendall Fletcher won defensive MVP honors. O'Reilly had three goals and two assists on the weekend and Fletcher led a defense that recorded two shutouts.
Yale's MVPs were Emma Whitfield on offense and Hayley Zevenbergen on defense.
Carolina returns to action next Friday when it plays in the City By The Bay Classic in San Francisco, Calif. The Tar Heels will meet the host San Francisco Dons on Friday at 7:30 p.m. PDT and then meet the Stanford Cardinal on Sunday at 2 p.m. PDT. before making their return trip to Chapel Hill.
