Tar Heels Explode For Most Goals In Seven Years In Win Over UNLV

Sunday, September 8

Durham, N.C.

11 a.m.

North Carolina

6-0

UNLV

2-3

UNLV

North Carolina

Bridgette Andrzejewski had a goal and three assists in 8-0 win over UNLV.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

Tar Heels Explode For Most Goals In Seven Years In Win Over UNLV

September 8, 2019 | Women's Soccer

Box Score Watch Highlights on YouTube Dorrance Post UNLV Match (mp3)Box Score (pdf)Play by Play (pdf)

Russo and Pinto both score twice in runaway win

By: Dave Lohse

DURHAM, N.C. - Alessia Russo and Brianna Pinto each scored a pair of goals and Bridgette Andrzejewski and Emily Fox each recorded three assists as the top-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team overwhelmed UNLV 8-0 Sunday afternoon at the Duke Nike Classic at Koskinen Stadium. The Tar Heels improved to 6-0 on the season while the Rebels fell to 2-3 on the campaign.

The eight goals were the most scored in a game by the Tar Heels since November 16, 2012 when Carolina beat Illinois 9-2 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fetzer Field. UNC tallied seven goals in the second half of that match. The six goals scored by the Tar Heels in the first half Sunday were the most in the opening 45 minutes of a game since September 17, 2003 when UNC scored seven goals before intermission in a 9-0 victory over Guilford.

All 27 players in uniform for the Tar Heels Sunday played at least 16 minutes as UNC head coach Anson Dorrance made liberal use of his bench in the win over the Rebels.

Sunday's match also marked the return to the lineup of Alessia Russo, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Emily Fox all of whom had missed the previous three matches while competing for their home countries in the U23 Nordic Tournament in England.

All three of those players had a huge impact in the game. Russo opened the scoring with 40:01 left in the first half for her first goal of the season. She was assisted on the play by Andrzejewski and Fox. The goal resulted from a nice buildup through the right side with Fox feeding Andrzejewski who delivered a perfect cross from to the foot of Russo at the six-yard line for the put away.

Just less than five minutes later, Brianna Pinto made it 2-0 as she scored her fifth goal of the season from about 12 yards out with 35:03 left in the half. Fox also had the assist on that goal. Freshman Isabel Cox made it 3-0 Carolina with 31:43 left in the half as she stole a back pass, beat a defender and finished from the left side of the penalty area to the far post for her second goal of the season.

Pinto added her second goal of the game with 22:48 left in the opening period, taking a cross from the right side from Andrzejewski and scoring from 10 yards out in the center of the box past the UNLV goalkeeper Emberly Sevilla. It was Pinto's sixth goal of the season.

With 5:30 left in the first half, UNC made it 5-0 on junior defender Lotte Wubben-Moy's first career goal. Wubben-Moy was taken down in the right side of the penalty area by UNLV defender Paige Almendariz. The London native confidently stepped to the 12-yard mark and finished high into the left side of the goal on her penalty attempt. Carolina added its sixth goal of the game with 1:42 left in the first half as Madison Schultz recorded her second goal of the season from four yards out after a cross by Ru Mucherera from the left side. Mucherera had made a long run up the left side of the pitch before feeding her fellow senior striker for the finish.

Carolina added two more goals in the second 45 minutes. Andrzejewski tallied her third goal of the campaign with 37:52 left in the second half, taking a centering pass from Isabel Cox from the right side of the box for a finish in the center within the six-yard area. The assist was the first of Cox's career.

Russo got her second goal of the game with 32:11 left off the third assists of the match by both Andrzejewski and Emily Fox. The passing sequence from the right side found Russo free just inside the unguarded left post for the put away.

Carolina finished with a 28-4 edge in shots in the match and a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks. Claudia Dickey went the whole way in goal for Carolina, making three saves. She improved her goalkeeper record to 3-0 while posting her first solo shutout of the season.

The Tar Heels will be back in action Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. That match will be played at the UNC Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium on campus. Tickets for the match are on sale at the GoHeels Ticket Center. The match will be televised nationally on ACC Network Extra.

GAME NOTES
• Carolina is 6-0 on the season for the first time since 2013 when it started its campaign with seven straight wins.
• Brianna Pinto matched her career high for goals in a match with two. She also scored twice against Indiana on August 22, 2019.
• Alessia Russo equaled her career high for goals in a game with two. She also had two against Wake Forest on October 8, 2017 and two against Louisville on September 29, 2018.
• Both Emily Fox and Bridgette Andrzejewski had three assists in the match, the first time for a Tar Heel to post a trio of helpers since Julia Ashley had three against Kansas on November 16, 2018.
• Fox matched her career high for assists in a game. She also had three against Syracuse on September 30, 2017.
• This was the first three assist-game of Andrzejewski's career. She had two in a 2-1 win over Virginia on September 24, 2017.
• Freshman Libby Moore and junior transfer Cameron Keating both made their Carolina debuts Sunday, each playing 16 minutes.