University of North Carolina Athletics

Tar Heels Fall To Aggies In NCAA Second Round
November 21, 2015 | Women's Soccer
CLEMSON, S.C. – The #21 Texas A&M women's soccer team defeated #8 North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Friday evening at Historic Riggs Field by a 1-0 score. The Tar Heels saw their season end at 15-5-1 while Texas A&M advances to the third round with a record of 17-6-1.
The two teams had played in the NCAA Tournament four times previously but the fifth time proved to be a charm for the Aggies as they notched their first post-season win over the Tar Heels and third overall win.
The Tar Heels dominated the open eight minutes of the game, getting five shots inside the penalty area but being unable to get anything past Danielle Rice, the A&M goalkeeper. Summer Green was particularly active in the opening minutes, getting off three good shots. Alexa Newfield also had a point blank look at Rice at 11:34 but the Aggie goalkeeper smothered the shot.
Seconds later, the momentum took a turn when Green went down with a torn ACL. She became the fifth UNC starter to be lost to an ACL injury since October 8, joining midfielders Dorian Bailey, Darcy McFarlane, Joanna Boyles and Cameron Castleberry on the sidelines.
After Green left the game in the 13th minute, UNC got off only two more shots on goal in the first half. Texas A&M then capitalized on a defensive turnaround deep in UNC's end to create the goal it needed to achieve the victory. Defender Julia Ashley was stripped deep in the left corner by Texas A&M's Ally Watt who sent the ball across the box diagonally. The shot from an acute angle, hit the far post and ricocheted in for the goal, Watt's seventh of the season.
Carolina threw everything it had at the Aggies after halftime but A&M held its defensive shape well while taking its calculated chances to get a second goal on a counterattack. UNC had the territorial advantage for the last 45 minutes but was unable to get close in looks. Alexa Newfield's shot hit the cross bar 13th minutes into the second half, just a couple of minutes after Julia Ashley had snuck behind the defense on a set piece but sent her effort wide.
Lindsey Harris had a couple of second half saves on counterattacking efforts in the second half and Carolina caught a break when a hand ball against the Tar Heels was not called with 20 minutes left.
In the end, A&M's defense was just too good as Carolina got off only one shot in the final 22:24 of the match.
The Tar Heels outshot A&M 14-7 and had a 5-0 edge in corner kicks. Despite those numbers, it was A&M who generated more shots on frame, four to Carolina's three.
The game marked the final appearance for five senior starters – forwards Alexa Newfield and Summer Green, midfielder Katie Bowen, defender Paige Nielsen and goalkeeper Bryane Heaberlin.