University of North Carolina Athletics
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Jones Notches Hat Trick As Tar Heels Win Barnburner Against Duke
October 28, 2010 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 28, 2010
DURHAM, N.C. - Junior forward Courtney Jones recorded the second hat trick of her career and had a career high seven points as the fourth-ranked North Carolina women's soccer team prevailed in a high-scoring affair against 25th-ranked Duke 5-3 Thursday night at Koskinen Stadium. A crowd of 2,398 for Duke's Senior Night saw the Tar Heels improved to 15-2-1 overall and 7-2 in the ACC while Duke fell to 10-6-3 overall and 4-5-1 in the conference.
Jones had a career high seven points and was complemented by a one-goal, one-assist performance by freshman forward Kealia Ohai and a two-assist effort off the bench by senior midfielder Ali Hawkins. Jones' previous hat trick came on September 28, 2008 during a 5-0 Tar Heel win over Maryland at Fetzer Field.
With the win, the Tar Heels move into sole possession of first place in the ACC standings with 21 points after previous leader Florida State lost 2-1 at Maryland Thursday night. Florida State, Maryland and Virginia are all tied with 19 points each for the second spot in the league standings. UNC can clinch the regular-season championship if they win at Wake Forest Sunday in a 3:30 p.m. tilt against the Demon Deacons.
Thursday's was a wild affair from the get go. Duke came into the game having not allowed a goal in its past three games while running off three straight wins to even its league ledger at 4-4-1. UNC was looking to rebound from a stinging 2-1 home loss suffered against Maryland last Sunday. The fans got their money's worth. The eight goals were the most goals combined in the series since September 29, 1993 when the Tar Heels beat Duke in Chapel Hill 7-2. Carolina's five goals were the most it has scored against the Blue Devils since a 6-1 win by Carolina on November 7, 2003 in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Cary, N.C. The three goals by Duke equaled the most ever scored by the Blue Devils against Carolina. The other occasion was October 17, 1994 when Duke beat Carolina 3-2 at Fetzer Field.
The Tar Heels outshot the Blue Devils 20-10, including a 13-4 edge in the first half which ended with UNC ahead 2-1. The second half saw the two teams combined for five goals on 13 shots. Tara Campbell finished with six saves for Duke and Hannah Daly had three for UNC.
The Tar Heels almost struck for the lead seven minutes into the contest when Crystal Dunn dribbled deep into the penalty area on the right side and sent a cross to Courtney Jones whose header clanged off the cross bar from close range. Jones more than made up for that when then finished off a great through ball from Dunn to put the Tar Heels ahead 1-0 with 24:02 left in the first half. Dunn threaded the needle on a pass through the Blue Devil defense to Jones who gathered it in on the right side of the box and buried a shot from a tough angle into the upper left 90 of the frame from 16 yards away The goal extended Jones' consecutive game scoring streak to four matches.
Dunn almost made it 2-0 with 17:45 left in the first half when she got free in the box and had a shot from close range only to see Campbell made a kick save to keep the Blue Devils' deficit at one goal. UNC's Kealia Ohai had another great chance in the box with 11:25 left in the half but a Blue Devil defender cleared the ball away at the last second for a corner kick.
Duke tied the game with 6:44 left in the first half when Molly Pathman scored for the Blue Devils after a long ball was played over the Tar Heel defense from the midfield by Alex Straton. Pathman finished past Daly into the lower right corner from 12 yards away. Just a little over a minute later, Laura Weinberg almost put the Blue Devils on top as her shot from 25 yards out was headed for the top shelf before it was tipped over the bar at the last second by Daly. That led to the first of two successive corner kicks by the Blue Devils.
The Tar Heels took the lead again with 3:36 left in the first half on junior forward Emmalie Pfankuch's first goal of the season which was assisted by senior forward Ali Hawkins. The goal was scored against the run of play as Duke was putting enormous pressure on the UNC goal prior to the Tar Heel counterattack. Carolina's defense was able to clear out and corner kick and Hawkins was eventually able to retrieve the ball and begin her run through the midfield. Pfankuch stayed onside the whole way with a crafty run down the left side. Hawkins' pass found Pfankuch in stride, the junior dribbled into the penalty area and then toe poked the ball to Campbell's left. Campbell appeared to get just a piece of the ball but it had enough momentum to clear the line inside the right post for a 2-1 Carolina lead.
UNC extended the lead to 3-1 just 36 seconds into the second half as Courtney Jones scored her second goal of the night and her ninth of the season. Kealia Ohai dribbled around the box on the left side and then fed Jones in front just five yards off the goal line. Jones' quick trigger shot went through Campbell's legs and slid across the line to put UNC up by two goals.
Duke's Gilda Doria had a breakaway with a little over 34 minutes remaining in the second half with no Tar Heel within 10 yards of her. The Tar Heel defense reacted as if Doria was offside on the play, but she was ruled on by the linesman and then dribbled in unattended against Daly. The Tar Heel keeper held her line and she made a great save on the one-on-one chance, parrying it away for a corner kick. With 25:50 left Duke had another point blank shop in the box by Laura Weinberg off a cross from the left side but Daly again stayed on her line and made the save on the shot from five yards.
Duke cut the Tar Heel lead to 3-2 with 22:15 left on a goal by Chelsea Canepa. The ball was served in to the right side beyond the Tar Heel defense by Kaitlyn Kerr. Canepa gathered it in and went one-on-one against the Tar Heel keeper, hitting the left corner for her second goal of the year.
Courtney Jones scored her third goal of the game with 11:22 to play after she stole the ball from a Duke defender, dribbled into the box around the retreating Blue Devil defenders and finished past Campbell into the left corner from 12 yards out.
The Tar Heels' two-goal lead did not stand up for long as Molly Pathman scored her second goal of the game with 10:29 to play in the match. Pathman took a pass from Kim DeCesare and flicked a right-footed shot past Daly into the lower right corner. Canepa also assisted on the goal.
Carolina eventually iced the game with 1:37 to play as Ohai scored her 12th goal of the year off assists by Jones and Hawkins. The play started in the midfield where Hawkins sent the ball forward to Jones. Jones dribbled into the right side of the box and drew the defense and goalkeeper to her. She slotted a cross along the six-yard line to a wide open Ohai who finished into the unattended goal. The sequence ended a wild second half in which four goals were scored in the final 23 minutes of play.
Hawkins and Rachel Givan both returned from injuries to play significant minutes Thursday. Hawkins played for the first time since the September 26 game against Virginia Tech. She played 45 minutes and had two assists. Givan came off the bench to play 37 minutes, her first action since the Florida State game on October 14.
