Tar Heels Blank High Point In NCAA First Round

Saturday, November 11

Cary, N.C.

1 p.m.

North Carolina

16-2-2

High Point

13-8-1

Team	1	2	Final F
High Point	0	0	0
North Carolina	2	1	3

Abby Elinsky celebrated a goal and an assist in win over High Point.

November 11, 2017 | Women's Soccer

Box Score UNC vs. High Point Box Score (pdf)Dorrance Post High Point (mp3)Watch UNC Goals on You Tube

Elinsky, Ashley and Goff score in win.

By: Dave Lohse

CARY, N.C. – The second-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team got goals from two midfielders and a defender and outshot High Point 23-0 to win a first-round game in the NCAA Tournament 3-0 against the Panthers in 42 degree temperatures at WakeMed Soccer Park's Koka Booth Stadium.

The Tar Heels improved to 16-2-2 on the season while High Point, champion of the Big South Conference, saw its season end at 13-8-1. The Tar Heels will play either Colorado in the NCAA Tournament second round on Friday, November 17 at 5 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park's KokaBooth Stadium.

UNC got goals from Abby Elinsky, Julia Ashley and Morgan Goff, in each case their second goals of the season. Elinsky scored the game-winner in the sixth minute of play and then assisted on Carolina's second and third goals.

UNC outshot the Panthers 23-0 and it had a 17-0 edge in corner kicks. Carolina placed 10 of its 23 shots on goal. High Point starting goalkeeper Alex Hank played 80:31 and made six saves while allowing the three Tar Heel tallies. Talia Klimes played 9:29 in goal for the Panthers and made one save. UNC goalkeeper Samantha Leshnak recorded her 12^th shutout of the campaign in 20 games. She has played every minute in goal this year for Carolina and has not allowed more than a single goal in 18 of 20 games.

UNC will play host to NCAA second round games on Friday, November 17 at WakeMed Soccer Park's Koka Booth Stadium. Fourth-seeded Princeton will face NC State at 2:30 p.m. next Friday and top-seeded Carolina will meet either Colordo at 5 p.m. The winners of the two second-round games on Friday will meet Sunday, November 19 at WakeMed Soccer Park at 1 p.m. in the NCAA Tournament third round.

Carolina struck early for Saturday's game-winning goal. Megan Buckingham chased down a Tar Heel corner kick that had been cleared out of danger initially by the High Point defense. Buckingham sent a perfect pass from the left side to Abby Elinsky just outside the top of the box. Elinsky crushed an 18-yard strike into the upper right 90 of the frame to put the Tar Heels ahead 1-0 at 5:33 of the match.

Carolina doubled its lead in the 39^th minute of the match. Kate Morris sent a low pass across the frame of the goal from 12 yards out on the right side of the box that eluded High Point goalkeeper Alex Hank. The ball squirted across the box to Abby Elinsky who touched it to the foot of Julia Ashley who buried a shot from four yards. A High Point defender sent the ball back out but not until it had crossed the line. Morris was credited with an assist on the play, her first career point.

UNC finished the scoring at 68:29 when Morgan Goff scored her second goal of the season off assists by Abby Elinsky and Madison Schultz. The scoring sequence began with a cross from the deep left corner by Schultz to the middle of the box. Elinsky headed the ball back across the frame to Goff who redirected it into the left side for her second goal of 2017.

UNC played 21 players in the match with only Samantha Leshnak, Julia Ashley and Megan Buckingham playing the full 90 minutes.