Tar Heels Blank Demon Deacons 4-0 To Remain Unbeaten

Thursday, September 12

Chapel Hill, N.C

7 p.m.

North Carolina

7-0

Wake Forest

5-1-1

Wake Forest

North Carolina

Ru Mucherera had a goal and an assist in first half of 4-0 win.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

September 12, 2019 | Women's Soccer

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Russo records brace for second straight game.

By: Dave Lohse

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Junior Alessia Russo scored a pair of second-half goals to lead the No. 1 North Carolina women's soccer team to a 4-0 win over Wake Forest Thursday evening at the UNC Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium. Seniors Zoe Redei and Ru Mucherera also tallied for the Tar Heels, who improved to 7-0 on the season.

The four-goal win was the largest for Carolina over Wake Forest since a 4-0 victory on September 27, 2009 at Fetzer Field. The Demon Deacons, who entered Thursday having allowed just one goal on the season, suffered their first loss of 2019 to fall to 5-1-1.

After the two teams played scoreless soccer for more than 35 minutes, the Tar Heels benefitted from having fresh legs on the field with head coach Anson Dorrance having made a whole host of substitutions in the 28^th minute.

Carolina took the lead at 35:45 on Zoe Redei's first goal of the season. Senior Ru Mucherera sent a ball from the right side of the pitch to junior transfer Lois Joel on the opposite side of the field. Joel sent a long looping ball with her right foot from about 28 yards out to the far post where four players went up simultaneously and Redei's header beat the others. Her redirection of the ball went over Wake Forest starting goalkeeper Meghan Kennedy into the left side for a 1-0 Tar Heel lead.

It took just over a minute for Carolina to double its lead as freshman Julia Dorsey sent a ball from the right side into the middle of the box. Mucherera chested the ball down, pivoted and drove a shot with velocity from 12 yards out into the left side of the goal. It was Mucherera's second goal of the season. The official time of the goal came was 37:07.

Carolina would go on to score a pair of goals in the second half to stretch the final margin to 4-0. Both goals in the second half came from the foot of English international star Russo, her third and fourth goals of the season. She also had a brace in a 2-0 win over the Demon Deacons in her freshman season on October 8, 2017.

Freshman Isabel Cox picked the pocket of a Wake Forest defender which led to Russo's goal at 78:19 as she converted one-on-one with the goalie after the turnover near the top of the box. Russo then scored again at 86:23, converting off assists by Bridgette Andrzejewski and Alexis Strickland. Russo finished from in close off the counter attack after a goal kick by Claudia Dickey was headed on by Strickland at midfield to Andrzejewski.

UNC outshot the Demon Deacons 18-5 and had a 6-3 edge in corner kicks. Claudia Dickey went all 90 minutes in goal for Carolina, making one save. Meghan Kennedy made five saves and allowed four goals in 90 minutes of play for the Demon Deacons.

Carolina is back in action on Sunday when it plays at Arkansas at 1 p.m. EDT/12 p.m. CDT. The game will be nationally televised by ESPNU.

GAME NOTES
• Alessia Russo now has four multi-goal games in her career. She has scored two goals in back-to-back games against UNLV and Wake Forest. Two of her four career multi-goal games have come against Wake Forest.
• Ru Mucherera had a goal and an assist in a game for the second time this season. She also had three points in the Tar Heels' 3-2 win at Washington on August 29.
• Carolina is now 32-2-2 all-time against Wake Forest and the Tar Heels have won seven in a row over the Demon Deacons dating to the 2013 campaign.
• Julia Dorsey's assist on the goal by Mucherera was her first career point.
• Bridgette Andrzejewski and Lois Joel lead the Tar Heels in assists this year with four.
• Zoe Redei's game-winning goal was the fifth of her Tar Heel career.