University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Carolina Advances To College Cup Behind Nogueira's Hat Trick
November 27, 2009 | Women's Soccer
Nov. 27, 2009
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Senior forward Casey Nogueira recorded the fourth hat trick of her career and the 11th multi-goal game overall to lead the third-ranked North Carolina women's soccer team to a 5-2 win over ninth-ranked Wake Forest in the NCAA quarterfinals before a crowd of 2,914 at Fetzer Field Friday afternoon. With the win, UNC advances to the NCAA College Cup for the 25th time in the last 28 years. The Tar Heels will meet Notre Dame next Friday in the NCAA semifinals in College Station, Texas.
UNC improved to 21-3-1 with its ninth successive victory while the Demon Deacons saw their season end with a 16-6-2 mark. The 16 wins equaled the most in a season in Wake Forest history and the quarterfinal appearance was the first for the Deacs. Meanwhile, UNC finished the season undefeated at home, going 13-0 at Fetzer Field during the campaign.
The Tar Heels jumped out to a 3-0 lead at halftime, outshooting the Demon Deacons 7-1 in the opening 45 minutes. Both teams scored twice in the second half when the two teams both had six shots. UNC ended with a 13-7 edge in shots and the Tar Heels scored five goals in their seven shots that were on frame. Five of Wake's seven shots were on frame with UNC making three saves and Wake scoring twice.
The Tar Heels struck for their first goal less than four minutes into the match. Tobin Heath served a ball from midfield down the right side to Jessica McDonald. McDonald tracked the ball down just as it was about to cross the end line and she one-timed a perfect cross into the box where Nogueira headed the ball into the goal from the four-yard line. It was the 10th goal of the season for Nogueira and her fourth in a post-season game, doubling her total of goals she scored in the regular season.
Over the next 20 minutes there was only one shot taken in the game as Nogueira sent a shot well high of the frame in the 10th minute. In the 24th minute, the Tar Heels doubled their lead on a brilliant strike by UNC sophomore forward Courtney Jones. Freshman midfielder Lucy Bronze headed a ball forward to Jones who was on the right side of the pitch, outside of the penalty area, about 25 yards away from the goal. Jones volleyed the ball out of the air and sent a rocket that froze Wake Forest goalkeeper Amanda Barasha. The ball ended up almost perfectly centered in the back of the net for Jones' sixth goal of the season and second of the NCAA Tournament.
Carolina almost made it 3-0 in the 27th minute as Nogueira sent a shot from the left side from about 22 yards out that Barasha was able to punch over the cross bar at the last second.
The Tar Heels were able to make their separation three goals in the closing minutes of the half as Meghan Klingenberg scored her fifth goal of the season and second of the NCAA Tournament off an assist by freshman striker Alyssa Rich. Rich slid a ball from the right side across the box that senior forward Sterling Smith dummied, allowing Klingenberg to have a free look at the net from the 12-yard line. The junior midfielder finished inside the far post to make the margin 3-0.
It took Wake Forest less than 12 minutes in the second half to get on the scoreboard and get back within a two-goal deficit. The goal was scored by senior forward Kaley Fountain and was her 11th of the season. Sarah Winslow sent a ball across the penalty area from the right side to Fountain. Fountain settled the ball and then finished inside the near post.
The goal broke a string of eight successive shutouts for the Tar Heels and ended a string of nearly 800 scoreless minutes put up by the UNC defense. Carolina had not allowed a goal in 798 minutes and 52 seconds since Beverly Goebel had tallied against the Tar Heels at the 80:11 mark of the match between the two teams on October 25.
After Wake's goal, Nogueira answered quickly, scoring 36 seconds later to make the score 4-1. Nogueira beat two defenders on the left side and then chipped Barasha from 25 yards out with the ball settling inside the right side netting at the 57:25 mark. Nogueira finished off her hat trick at 60:12 when she scored a similar goal. She dribbled up field on the left side, again beating two defenders and then finished to the far post again for her 12th goal of the season and sixth of the post-season (two in the ACC Tournament and four in the NCAA Tournament).
Nogueira now has 11 career multi-goal games and it was the fourth hat trick of her career. The other hat ticks came against Ohio State on September 20, 2007, against Wake Forest on October 5, 2008 and against NC State, when she tallied four goals, on October 17, 2008. It was her fourth multi-goal game of the 2009 season. Nogueira now has 54 goals in her career, one goal behind tying Stephanie Zeh (1981-82) on UNC's career chart. She also has 136 career points and she moved past Zeh by one point into 14th place in Carolina history in all-time points.
The Demon Deacons had two great chances to eat into the lead in the 68th minute of the match as Alisha Woodson's shot at 67:24 was saved by UNC goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris from about three yards away. Caitlin Farrell had a follow up shot for the Deacs in the box but her attempt was saved from going into the net by a Tar Heel defender.
The final goal of the game came at the 73:15 mark as Sarah Winslow scored her second of the season on an opportunistic play. The ball was deflected back into the Tar Heel box, where Winslow was able to run onto it and score into the open net.
