UNC Advances To Semifinal With 1-0 Win Over VT

Tuesday, November 10

Cary, NC

5:30 p.m.

North Carolina

10-0-0, 9-0-0

No. 7 Virginia Tech

5-8-0, 4-4-0

Virginia Tech

North Carolina

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

November 10, 2020 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Aury St. Germain

CARY, N.C. – No. 1 North Carolina (10-0-0) edged Virginia Tech (5-8-0), 1-0, in the ACC Championship Quarterfinals on a mild Tuesday evening at Wake Medicine Sports Park.

"Virginia Tech is a very fine side. We had difficulty breaking them down but we are excited to move on," said Head Coach Anson Dorrance. "We were happy to be able to play our deep rotation of players and did not have any injuries. I am looking forward to being able to get back out there on Friday."

With the win, North Carolina advances to the ACC Championship semifinals for the eighth-straight season.

UNC did not waste time early as Talia Dellaperuta collected a pass, turned and stuck the ball just over the crossbar in the third minute.

The Tar Heels had a multitude of chances in 13^th and 14^th minutes when North Carolina took five corner kicks within a minute. The attempts resulted in a shot from Sam Meza after the fifth, which was wide right.

Dellaperuta kept busy through the first 20 minutes and recorded her second shot after making a turn at the top of the box and firing a shot wide left.

North Carolina's persistence paid off in the middle of the first half when Sam Meza found Emily Fox who served a pass perfectly into the box to Brianna Pinto, who headed the ball into the back of the net in the 26^th minute. The assists were Fox's first of 2020 and Meza's second while the goal was Pinto's team-high fifth.

"We were motivated by our seniors tonight. We wanted to be around our team another week and we were able to advance," said Pinto. "I think that Virginia Tech is such a good team. We did a good job matching their energy all night long. Now, it is all about doing the little things right to make sure we are prepared for Friday."

UNC entered halftime with a 1-0 lead and held advantages in shots, 12-3, and corner kicks, 10-1. Dellaperuta recorded three first half shots while Izzy Brown and Brianna Pinto each notched a pair in the opening period.

Within the first five minutes of the second half, the Tar Heels had two opportunities on goal. Rachel Jones fired a rocket that was blocked by a Hokie defender a minute before Pinto headed the ball into the back of the net before being called for offsides.

Pinto continued her attack in the 63^rd minute when she was inches away from her first brace of the season after a header attempt off of a pass from Dellaperuta.

Fox gave the Tar Heels another chance after she served an incredible pass into Izzy Brown in the 75^th minute but her header attempt went just wide right. It was the Tar Heels' 17^th shot of the game.

"There was a lot of space on the left side of the field today and I was able to take advantage," said Fox. "Our team does such a great job of being in the box, it makes my job easy".

UNC kept the Hokie's backline on their heels throughout the contest with 17 shots. UNC's defense was stellar and allowed just three Hokie attempts. Claudia Dickey recorded her seventh clean sheet of the 2020 season.

North Carolina's 15 corner kicks were the most for the Tar Heels since Nov. 30, 2018, when UNC recorded 15 against Georgetown in a 1-0 win.

UNC awaits the winner of third-seeded Virginia and sixth-seeded Louisville for a semifinal match-up on Friday at 8 p.m.