Carolina Advances To NCAA Third Round After Blanking Buffaloes

Friday, November 22

Chapel Hill, N.C

6 P.M.

North Carolina

21-1-1

Colorado

12-8-2

Colorado

North Carolina

Carolina Advances To NCAA Third Round After Blanking Buffaloes

November 22, 2019 | Women's Soccer

Box Score Anson Dorrance Post-Game (mp3)Box Score (pdf)Play by Play (pdf)Watch Highlights on YouTube

Russo tallies game-winner in 48th minute.

By: Dave Lohse

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Alessia Russo's goal in the 48th minute was the difference as the second-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team defeated Colorado 1-0 Friday night in the NCAA Tournament second round. A Dorrance Field record crowd of 4,235 was on hand to watch the Tar Heels move on to the third round where they will face Michigan at 1 p.m. Sunday in Chapel Hill.

Russo's goal was her 12th of the season and the sixth goal in the last four games as she has caught fire in the postseason for Carolina. UNC is now 21-1-1 on the campaign while the Buffaloes finished their season at 12-8-2. The shutout was UNC's 18th this season in 23 games.

The script was familiar for the two squads as they have met each other three times in the NCAA second round since 2014. The Tar Heels have won each of those matches 1-0, including an overtime win in 2014 and a 1-0 victory on a Bridgette Andrzejewski goal in 2017 when the Tar Heels played their home games in Cary, N.C.

The Tar Heels dominated the game statistically but found it difficult to get the ball past Colorado goalkeeper Jalen Tompkins who made multiple spectacular saves. She finished with nine stops overall. UNC outshot the Buffaloes 20-5 in the match, registering 10 shots in each half. Claudia Dickey played the whole game in goal for the Tar Heels and was forced to make one save. UNC led in corner kicks 7-0 and committed an out-of-character 14 fouls compared to just six for the Buffaloes.

The lone goal of the match came at 47:54 when Russo finished with authority from outside the box for her 12th goal of the campaign. Bridgette Andrzejewski chased down a loose ball in the left corner of the pitch and sent it into the box where Brianna Pinto controlled it and tapped it back to Russo who rocketed the shot past Tompkins on a low line drive into the lower left corner of the frame.

Dorrance Field will open at 12 p.m. for ticket sales on Sunday prior to the UNC-Michigan start time. Courtesy of ticket purchases by UNC Women's Soccer, all Carolina students showing a valid UNC One Card will be admitted free of charge to Sunday's match. For the general public, reserved seats are $10, general admission seats are $5 and senior citizens and students (other than UNC) are $3.

GAME NOTES
• UNC has matched last season's win total with 21 victories.
• The last time Carolina won more than 21 games in a season was 2009 with 23 triumphs.
• Alessia Russo notched her 12th goal of the season. She also leads UNC in game-winning goals with six this season.
• Russo, a three-time first-team All-ACC selection, now has 27 career goals and 16 career game-winning goals. Fifty-nine percent of Russo's career goals have been game-winning tallies.
• Brianna Pinto and Alessia Russo share the team lead in points with 25 each.
• Bridgette Andrzejewski now has seven assists, third on the team behind Emily Fox with nine and Lois Joel with eight.
• Carolina has 18 clean sheets this season, the most since the 2009 team had 19 shutouts.
• The Tar Heels are now 6-0 all-time against Colorado.
• UNC and Michigan will face each off for the first time on the women's soccer pitch Sunday.