University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Santa Clara
No. 5 Tar Heels Roll Past No. 15 Santa Clara
September 14, 2008 | Women's Soccer
Sept. 14, 2008
STANFORD, CALIF. - Playing it fifth Top 15 opponent in only its seventh game of the season, the fifth-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team put together its best overall effort of the season in blanking No. 15 Santa Clara 5-0 Sunday afternoon at the Stanford Invitational. Carolina's defense posted its third shutout of the season while junior forward Nikki Washington scored a pair of goals and Yael Averbuch, Courtney Jones and Casey Nogueira notched single tallies.
After tying No. 3 Stanford 1-1 Friday night, UNC finished the Stanford Invitational with a 1-0-1 record and improved to 5-1-1 on the season. Santa Clara fell to 3-4 with the loss. UNC now leads the series with Santa Clara 15-4 but it was a satisfying win for the Heels as the Broncos had won four of the previous five meetings going into Sunday's match.
The Tar Heels were named the champions of the tournament as both Stanford and UNC finished 1-0-1 while UNC Greensboro was 1-1 and Santa Clara 0-2. UNC won the tiebreaker on goal differential of plus five as compared to Stanford's plus two.
UNC opened the scoring just 55 seconds into the match on Nikki Washington's second goal of the season. The goal came off a long cross field pass by sophomore Meghan Klingenberg. Washington gathered in Klingenberg's cross and sent a half volley from 18 yards out over SCU goalkeeper Meagan McCray and into the left corner.
The Tar Heels doubled their lead led than six minutes later. Yael Averbuch scored her second goal of the campaign as she picked up her own rebound off a free kick that hit the wall and ripped a follow shot into the upper 90. Averbuch's goal came just 6:49 into the match.
Carolina put the game away with three goals in a span of just over 12 minutes in the second half. At 48:12, freshman forward Courtney Jones scored her third goal of the season as she banged home a rebound after McCray saved an initial shot by Washington, who was credited with an assist on the play.
It was Washington who struck again at the 63:53 mark as she dribbled through the Santa Clara defense and slotted a low shot into the left corner for her third goal of the season.
The Tar Heels finished off the scoring at 70:28 as Casey Nogueira notched her fifth goal of the year off an assist by freshman Rachel Wood, her first career point. Nogueira shot low to beat the SCU keeper to the shooter's left, ending the scoring for the day.
UNC outshot the Broncos 21-8 and had a 7-0 edge in corner kicks. As usual, the Tar Heels split goalkeeping duties with Ashlyn Harris playing the first half and making two saves and Anna Rodenbough playing the second 45 minutes. McCray went the whole 90 for SCU and made five saves.
Carolina will return to the pitch next weekend at the Duke adidas Classic in Durham. The Tar Heels will play Georgia at 5 p.m. Friday at Koskinen Stadium and the will meet Fordham at noon Sunday.
