Tar Heels Persevere To Advance To 29th College Cup

Friday, November 29

Chapel Hill, N.C

6 p.m.

North Carolina

23-1-1

Southern California

17-5-1

Southern California

North Carolina

Emily Fox's second goal of her career knotted the game in the first half.

Photo by: Dana Gentry

November 29, 2019 | Women's Soccer

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Bell's game-winner is the difference in wild 3-2 affair.

By: Dave Lohse

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Maycee Bell's goal with 21:55 to play in the second half proved to be the game winner as the second-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team downed ninth-ranked Southern California 3-2 Friday evening and in the process earned UNC's 29th appearance in the NCAA College Cup in the 38-year history of the tournament. Carolina improved to 23-1-1 on the campaign and will play Washington State next Friday in the NCAA semifinals at 7 p.m. EST at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif. The Cougars advanced to the NCAA semifinals by defeating South Carolina 1-0 in overtime Friday in Columbia, S.C. in another NCAA quarterfinal game.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions for both teams Friday night before a crowd of 2,655 fans at Dorrance Field. UNC conceded a goal at home for the first time in Dorrance Field history as Carolina had issued clean sheets towards its opponent in the first 12 home games of the season. Carolina gave up a goal in the opening 17 minutes, rallied to score twice, but saw USC even the match in the 62^nd minute. Eventually Bell's goal at 68:05 unknotted the affair and sent Carolina to another NCAA semifinal.

USC, making its third ever appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals, ended its 2019 campaign with a record of 17-5-1.

The Tar Heels outshot the Trojans 22-15, including a 12-4 margin in the first half. The second half proved to be more of an end-to-end wild affair with the Trojans recording 11 shots in the final 45 minutes and the Tar Heels 10. UNC ended with a 8-3 edge in corner kicks. Both teams ended with seven shots on goal.

Claudia Dickey went all 90 minutes in goal for Carolina, making five saves, one short of her career high of six set earlier this season against Florida State. Kaylie Collins went all 90 minutes in goal for USC, making three saves and allowing three goals.

The Trojans opened the scoring Friday night on a counter attack goal by Penelope Hocking at 16:52 of the match. It was Hocking's 18^th goal of the season. Jalen Woodward served a ball forward from the midfield to Tara McKeown who threaded a ball perfectly through the Tar Heel back line to the foot of Hocking who finished from 15 yards out in the left side of the penalty area.

Carolina equaled the match at 38:45 on a goal by junior midfielder Emily Fox, her second career tally. Fox pounced on a ball in the midfield and evaded five USC players on her run into the box, finishing inside the right post past Collins from about 15 yards out.

The Tar Heels scored a spectacular goal to take the lead at 54:48 as Brianna Pinto scored her 11^th goal of the season on a header right on the doorstep. Taylor Otto set up the scoring sequence with a brilliant service from the right side that found the head of Bridgette Andrzejewski inside the box just beyond the far post. Andrzejewski headed the ball to the center of the box for the in-close put away by Pinto. The goal put Carolina up 2-1. Otto earned her second assist of the season on the play while Andrzejewski added her eighth assist.

Carolina's lead was short-lived however as USC showed its resiliency, scoring at 61:28 to deadlock the game at 2-2. Penelope Hocking took a shot at the top of the box that Dickey parried off the cross bar. The ball fell to Woodward who redirected it to the goal mouth where Natalie Jacobs finished from close range to even things at two apiece. It was Jacobs' fourth goal of the season.

The Tar Heels would retake the lead for good at 68:05 on Bell's third goal of the season. Carolina earned a free kick on a foul by USC about 30 yards from goal. The English international came up big as she has all season, delivering a ball expertly to the head of Bell who slashed behind the USC line and headed it deftly into the lower left corner of the frame for the eventual game-winning tally.

The Tar Heels and the WSU Cougars will meet in the NCAA semifinals at Avaya Stadium next Friday at 7 p.m. EST on ESPNU. The second semifinal game will pit UCLA against Stanford at 9:30 p.m. EST, also on ESPNU. The national championship game will be played on Sunday, December 8 in San Jose on ESPNU at 8:30 p.m. EST.

GAME NOTES
• Carolina improved to 135-14-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels are now 28-1-2 all-time in NCAA quarterfinal games.
• This will mark UNC's 29^th appearance in the NCAA College Cup since the first tournament was played in 1982.
• Claudia Dickey's five saves were the second highest total of her career, behind the six she had against Florida State on October 24, 2019.
• Brianna Pinto scored her 11^th goal of the season and she now leads Carolina in points with 28.
• Bridgette Andrzejewski ran her season total for assists to eight and Lotte Wubben-Moy recorded her seventh assist of the campaign.
• UNC improved to 4-1 all-time against the Trojans.
• UNC's meeting with Washington State will mark the second time the two teams have played in history. Carolina won 4-0 on August 29, 2003 in Seattle, Wash., in the previous meeting.