University of North Carolina Athletics
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UNC Reserves Power Tar Heels Past Georgia
September 19, 2008 | Women's Soccer
Sept. 19, 2008
DURHAM, N.C. - Third-ranked North Carolina got four goals from players off the bench as the Tar Heel women's soccer team blanked Georgia 4-0 Friday evening at the Duke adidas Soccer Classic at Koskinen Stadium. Freshman Merritt Mathias, junior Jessica McDonald, sophomore Meghan Klingenberg and senior Mandy Moraca each scored a single goal in the game and five different players accounted for one goal each.
The Tar Heel defense posted its fourth shutout of the season as UNC improved to 6-1-1 overall. The Bulldogs were limited to two shots, including one by Jamie Pollock at 15:23 which almost gave Georgia an early lead were it not for a tremendous kick save by Anna Rodenbough.
Carolina struggled to get off shots in the early going before the offense started to click, producing six shots and five corner kicks in the final 16 minutes of the first half. UNC's first goal came off a corner kick at the 35:47 juncture. Yael Averbuch sent a corner from the right pylon to the far post where Ali Hawkins nodded the ball back toward the middle of the goal mouth. Merritt Mathias found herself unmarked at the three-yard line and she headed in Hawkins' flick to put the Heels up 1-0. It was the second goal of the season for Mathias and the second-time she has had a game-winning goal against a Southeastern Conference opponent. Her previous goal came in a 4-0 win over Kentucky on September 7.
After halftime, the Tar Heel offense came out the locker room amped up and it peppered the Georgia goal with 14 second-half shots, including six on frame. Three goals in a span of 16:02 late in the second half salted away the victory for the Tar Heels.
At 68:33, junior college transfer Jessica McDonald, playing in her first career match for the Tar Heels, scored on a header past Georgia goalie Michelle Betos. Meghan Klingenberg sent a cross from the right side to the far post where McDonald's diving header eluded Betos.
At 76:28, the Tar Heels extended their lead to 3-0 after a flurry of action in front of the Georgia goal. Yael Averbuch took a shot from 20 yards out dead center that was blocked by the Bulldogs' defense. The ball squirted to Courtney Jones who gathered it in and shot at Betos from close range. Jones' shot was saved but Klingenberg pounced on the rebound to score into an open net.
The Heels finished the scoring at 84:35 on the most spectacular goal of the evening. Nikki Washington sent a booming cross from the right sideline from 40 yards out that found the far post where senior Mandy Moraca was unmarked. Moraca skied to claim the pass and headed with ball with pace into the upper right 90 side netting. It was the third goal of Moraca's career and her first since September 12, 2007 in a 3-0 win at UNC Greensboro.
For Georgia it was its fourth straight loss as the Bulldogs fell to 2-5 on the season. Georgia has played one of the toughest schedules in the nation having loss its last four games to No. 7 Virginia 1-0, to No. 6 Stanford 2-0, to No. 4 Southern California 3-2 and to No. 3 North Carolina 4-0.
UNC outshot the Bulldogs 22-4 and finished with a 7-2 edge in corner kicks. Betos finished with four saves for the Bulldogs while UNC goalkeepers Anna Rodenbough and Ashlyn Harris, who each played a half, finished with one save combined while sharing the shutout.
Carolina returns to action Sunday for its final non-conference game of the regular season, meeting the Fordham Rams at 12 noon in the Duke adidas Classic at Koskinen Stadium.
