University of North Carolina Athletics
Saturday, November 24
Cary, N.C. (WakeMed Soccer Park)
6 p.m.
North Carolina
20-3-2
2
vs
2
UCLA
17-3-2
1
2
OT 3
OT 4
F
UCLA
0
2
0
0
2
North Carolina
1
1
0
0
2
Photo by: Tony Tucker
Tar Heels Advance To College Cup With Shootout Win Over Bruins
November 24, 2018 | Women's Soccer
Leshnak's career high save total keys stout defensive effort
CARY, N.C. – Senior goalkeeper Samantha Leshnak equaled a career high with six saves and then went on to save two more shots in a penalty kick shootout as the third-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team advanced to the 2018 NCAA College Cup, downing fourth-ranked UCLA 4-2 in penalty kicks after the teams tied 2-2 through 110 minutes of regulation and overtime.
The NCAA quarterfinal game was played before an overflow crowd of 904 fans at WakeMed Soccer Park's Koka Booth Stadium.
North Carolina is now 20-3-2 on the season and will advance to play second-ranked and undefeated Georgetown next Friday at Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in the 2018 NCAA College Cup semifinals. All four of the #1 seeds have advanced to the College Cup with UNC meeting Georgetown at 5 p.m. Friday and defending national champion Stanford playing Florida State at 7:30 p.m. Friday in national semifinal meetings. UCLA saw its season end with a record of 17-3-2.
Goals by Julia Ashley in the third minute and Dorian Bailey in the 53rd minute put the Tar Heels up 2-0 in the match before UCLA's Hallie Mace scored a pair of goals just 53 seconds apart to tie the game at 2-2 with 32:57 left in regulation.
Neither team was able to score again before the match went to penalty kicks where Tar Heels Annie Kingman, Taylor Otto, Rachel Jones and Claudia Dickey all made their kicks from the mark while Leshnak saved penalty kicks by Julia Hernandez and Canadian National Team member Jessie Fleming in the third and fourth rounds.
Leshnak's heroics made her only the third goalkeeper in UNC history to prevail in a penalty kick shootout as Carolina is now 3-5 all-time in shootouts. Previous UNC goalkeepers to win penalty kick shootouts were Ashlyn Harris 4-2 in the ACC Tournament semifinals against Virginia in 2007 and Bryane Heaberlin 4-2 in the NCAA Tournament third round against Baylor in 2012.
Leshnak's six official saves in the game matched her career high of six set against Duke on August 18, 2017 in a 2-1 overtime win at WakeMed Soccer Park.
The Tar Heels and the Bruins both took seven shots in the first half which ended with UNC on top 1-0. North Carolina pounced quickly for a goal in just the third minute of play. After a shot by Dorian Bailey was blocked over the end line, Lotte Wubben-Moy delivered a picture-perfect corner kick from the right side into the center of the box where Julia Ashley headed it home for a 1-0 lead. It was senior tri-captain Ashley's fifth goal of the season and the official time of the goal was 2:26.
Carolina took five of the first six shots of the game and UCLA goalkeeper Teagan Micah made her only save of the half on a shot by Bailey at 16:07. At 21:57, the Bruins almost got an equalizer from Hallie Mace but Leshnak tipped it off the cross bar and then she gobbled up a header by Olivia Athens 19 seconds later to keep the Tar Heels on top. Leshnak's third save of the half came against U.S. Youth National Team player Ashley Sanchez at 35:21.
Carolina increased its lead to 2-0 at 52:04 of the match on Dorian Bailey's fifth goal of the season. Emily Fox had fed a ball down the left side that Madison Schultz gathered in. Her shot from the left side of the box was punched out by Micah but it fell directly to Bailey near the top of the box and she finished into the lower right 90 of the frame for a 2-0 UNC lead.
UNC's lead would be short-lived however. After Micah made her second save of the second half on Alex Kimball at 55:42, UCLA scored on a breakaway on the counter attack. Ashley Sanchez fed a splendid pass forward to Mace who scored on the breakaway from a tough angle into the right-side netting. It was her eighth goal of the season and the official time was 56:10. Just 53 seconds later the Bruins got the equalizer on a goal by Mace, her ninth of the campaign, as she tapped home a cross near the left post that came from the right side of the pitch by the Bruins' Delanie Sheehan.
The Bruins would outshoot the Tar Heels 9-5 in the second half but Leshnak made three saves later in the half to keep the game level. She stopped Olivia Athens at 62:14, Julia Hernandez at 79:07 and Ashley Sanchez at 81:03.
When the game went to overtime, momentum shifted back to UNC as the Tar Heels outshot the Bruins 3-0 in the first overtime period and 4-1 in the second overtime session. Micah made one save in the first overtime period, stopping an effort by Rachel Jones at 91:19. Madison Schultz almost ended the game in the second overtime period but she hit the crossbar with a shot from distance at 103:46 and then sent a shot just wide at 107:30.
The teams advanced to a penalty kick shootout, UNC's first in an NCAA game since beating Baylor on PKs in 2012. The Bruins replaced Micah in goal for the shootout with Lauren Brzykcy. Annie Kingman made the opening effort in the shootout for UNC and Hallie Mace answered that goal. In the second round, Taylor Otto made her PK and Sunny Dunphy successfully converted for the Bruins. In the third round, freshman Rachel Jones converted for Carolina and Leshnak then extended to her left and knocked away Julia Hernandez's effort for the Buins. In the fourth round, UNC backup goalkeeper and freshman Claudia Dickey buried her shot. That set up Leshnak's tremendous save, this time going to her right, to knock down Fleming's chance at keeping the Bruins alive.
UNC's trip to this week's College Cup will be the 28th in school history and the third in this decade (2012, 2016, 2018). UNC is now 130-13-4 all-time in NCAA matches dating to the first tournament in 1982.
The Tar Heels will play undefeated Georgetown, the nation's #2 ranked team, in the NCAA semifinals next Friday at WakeMed Soccer Park.
The NCAA quarterfinal game was played before an overflow crowd of 904 fans at WakeMed Soccer Park's Koka Booth Stadium.
North Carolina is now 20-3-2 on the season and will advance to play second-ranked and undefeated Georgetown next Friday at Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in the 2018 NCAA College Cup semifinals. All four of the #1 seeds have advanced to the College Cup with UNC meeting Georgetown at 5 p.m. Friday and defending national champion Stanford playing Florida State at 7:30 p.m. Friday in national semifinal meetings. UCLA saw its season end with a record of 17-3-2.
Goals by Julia Ashley in the third minute and Dorian Bailey in the 53rd minute put the Tar Heels up 2-0 in the match before UCLA's Hallie Mace scored a pair of goals just 53 seconds apart to tie the game at 2-2 with 32:57 left in regulation.
Neither team was able to score again before the match went to penalty kicks where Tar Heels Annie Kingman, Taylor Otto, Rachel Jones and Claudia Dickey all made their kicks from the mark while Leshnak saved penalty kicks by Julia Hernandez and Canadian National Team member Jessie Fleming in the third and fourth rounds.
Leshnak's heroics made her only the third goalkeeper in UNC history to prevail in a penalty kick shootout as Carolina is now 3-5 all-time in shootouts. Previous UNC goalkeepers to win penalty kick shootouts were Ashlyn Harris 4-2 in the ACC Tournament semifinals against Virginia in 2007 and Bryane Heaberlin 4-2 in the NCAA Tournament third round against Baylor in 2012.
Leshnak's six official saves in the game matched her career high of six set against Duke on August 18, 2017 in a 2-1 overtime win at WakeMed Soccer Park.
The Tar Heels and the Bruins both took seven shots in the first half which ended with UNC on top 1-0. North Carolina pounced quickly for a goal in just the third minute of play. After a shot by Dorian Bailey was blocked over the end line, Lotte Wubben-Moy delivered a picture-perfect corner kick from the right side into the center of the box where Julia Ashley headed it home for a 1-0 lead. It was senior tri-captain Ashley's fifth goal of the season and the official time of the goal was 2:26.
Carolina took five of the first six shots of the game and UCLA goalkeeper Teagan Micah made her only save of the half on a shot by Bailey at 16:07. At 21:57, the Bruins almost got an equalizer from Hallie Mace but Leshnak tipped it off the cross bar and then she gobbled up a header by Olivia Athens 19 seconds later to keep the Tar Heels on top. Leshnak's third save of the half came against U.S. Youth National Team player Ashley Sanchez at 35:21.
Carolina increased its lead to 2-0 at 52:04 of the match on Dorian Bailey's fifth goal of the season. Emily Fox had fed a ball down the left side that Madison Schultz gathered in. Her shot from the left side of the box was punched out by Micah but it fell directly to Bailey near the top of the box and she finished into the lower right 90 of the frame for a 2-0 UNC lead.
UNC's lead would be short-lived however. After Micah made her second save of the second half on Alex Kimball at 55:42, UCLA scored on a breakaway on the counter attack. Ashley Sanchez fed a splendid pass forward to Mace who scored on the breakaway from a tough angle into the right-side netting. It was her eighth goal of the season and the official time was 56:10. Just 53 seconds later the Bruins got the equalizer on a goal by Mace, her ninth of the campaign, as she tapped home a cross near the left post that came from the right side of the pitch by the Bruins' Delanie Sheehan.
The Bruins would outshoot the Tar Heels 9-5 in the second half but Leshnak made three saves later in the half to keep the game level. She stopped Olivia Athens at 62:14, Julia Hernandez at 79:07 and Ashley Sanchez at 81:03.
When the game went to overtime, momentum shifted back to UNC as the Tar Heels outshot the Bruins 3-0 in the first overtime period and 4-1 in the second overtime session. Micah made one save in the first overtime period, stopping an effort by Rachel Jones at 91:19. Madison Schultz almost ended the game in the second overtime period but she hit the crossbar with a shot from distance at 103:46 and then sent a shot just wide at 107:30.
The teams advanced to a penalty kick shootout, UNC's first in an NCAA game since beating Baylor on PKs in 2012. The Bruins replaced Micah in goal for the shootout with Lauren Brzykcy. Annie Kingman made the opening effort in the shootout for UNC and Hallie Mace answered that goal. In the second round, Taylor Otto made her PK and Sunny Dunphy successfully converted for the Bruins. In the third round, freshman Rachel Jones converted for Carolina and Leshnak then extended to her left and knocked away Julia Hernandez's effort for the Buins. In the fourth round, UNC backup goalkeeper and freshman Claudia Dickey buried her shot. That set up Leshnak's tremendous save, this time going to her right, to knock down Fleming's chance at keeping the Bruins alive.
UNC's trip to this week's College Cup will be the 28th in school history and the third in this decade (2012, 2016, 2018). UNC is now 130-13-4 all-time in NCAA matches dating to the first tournament in 1982.
The Tar Heels will play undefeated Georgetown, the nation's #2 ranked team, in the NCAA semifinals next Friday at WakeMed Soccer Park.
Team Stats
UCLA
NC
Goals
2
2
Shots
17
19
Shots on Goal
8
6
Saves
4
6
Corners
1
11
Fouls
15
15
Scoring Plays
Julia Ashley (5)
Assisted By: Lotte Wubben-Moy
scored off corner kick
2:26
Dorian Bailey (5)
Assisted By: Madison Schultz
GOAL by NC Dorian Bailey, Assist by Madison Schultz, goal number 5 for season.
52:04
Mace, Hailie (8)
Assisted By: Sanchez, Ashley
breakaway goal
56:10
Mace, Hailie (9)
Assisted By: Sheehan, Delanie
17 crossed in to 16
57:03
Game Leaders
Shots
5
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Players Mentioned
Defender
/ Women's SoccerMidfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Women's Soccer
Forward
/ Women's SoccerForward
/ Women's SoccerDefender
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