University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Clemson
Tar Heel Defense Shines In 3-0 Shutout of No. 14 Clemson
October 5, 2007 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 5, 2007
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina's defense was rock solid and the Tar Heel women's soccer team scored goals late in both halves to throw a 3-0 shutout at Clemson in an Atlantic Coast Conference game before 2,245 fans at Fetzer Field. Yael Averbuch, Erin Mikula and Allie Long scored the goals for North Carolina (8-3, ACC 2-1) while Clemson lost for only the second time this season, falling to 8-2-1 overall and 1-1-1 in the ACC.
After a loss at Miami last Sunday, UNC fell out of the Top 10 in all three national polls for the first time in its 29-year history. Clemson came into the game ranked ahead of the Tar Heels in the Soccer America poll (No. 14 versus No. 15) while UNC was rated No. 12 by the NSCAA and No. 14 by Soccer Buzz. Coach Todd Bramble's Tiger squad, whose only previous loss this season was at Charlotte, was ranked 15th by the NSCAA and 19th by Soccer Buzz.
But from the opening whistle the coach Anson Dorrance's Tar Heels dictated the tempo of the game, repeatedly stringing together passing combinations that put pressure on Clemson's Ashley Phillips, one of the nation's best goalies, who had allowed only one goal all season heading into the match.
UNC outshot the Tigers 12-0 in the first half and 9-0 in the second half and had 14 corner kicks to zero for the Tigers. But it proved hard for the Heels to put a shot past Phillips as she saved Carolina's first six shots on frame.
UNC broke through in the final four minutes of the first half while four starters, including the entire front line, were resting. The goal at 41:09 came off the foot of Yael Averbuch, her third of the season, as her shot from 35 yards out wedged just between the hands of Phillips and the crossbar for a 1-0 lead. Tobin Heath had taken a pass from Ariel Harris and then fed Averbuch out front for the finish on the offensive chance.
Carolina nursed the lead well into the second half as the back line of Harris, Jessica Maxwell and Kristi Eveland rarely allowed the Tigers to possess the ball in their offensive third. The Tar Heels' flat back three defensive system also lured the Tigers into seven offside calls when they attempted to float the ball over the top of the defense in the hopes of running on to it for breakaways.
Eventually, Carolina padded its lead at 78:41 on freshman Erin Mikula's first career goal. Nikki Washington threaded a pass through two defenders to Casey Nogueira on the left side. Nogueira sent a cross to the center of the box where Mikula was unmarked at the 12-yard line. Mikula finished into the lower right corner to make the score 2-0.
The Tar Heels added an insurance goal with 14 seconds to play when a Clemson clearance went straight to Tar Heel midfielder Allie Long who rocketed a shot from 35 yards past Phillips, off the cross bar and into the left side of the net to finish off a 3-0 final score.
Ashlyn Harris went all 90 minutes in goal for the Tar Heels to complete the second solo shutout of her career. Phillips finished with eight saves for Clemson while allowing three goals.
The Tar Heels will travel to College Park, Md., Saturday and then play a matchup against the University of Maryland Sunday at 1 p.m. at Ludwig Field. The Terrapins are 5-3-2 overall and 0-2 in the ACC after a 1-0 loss to Wake Forest Friday night. Clemson is idle until playing at Virginia Tech next Thursday at 7 p.m.
