By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Carolina’s freshmen haven’t taken long to prove they’re worthy of being ranked the country’s No. 1 group in the class.
Two freshmen, Melina Rebimbas and Olivia Thomas, scored their first college goals and another, Mia Oliaro, added an assist to lead No. 2 North Carolina to a 3–1 victory Sunday over Cal at Dorrance Field in its home opener before 3,792 sun-splashed fans.
The first-year players are meshing well with the veterans for the Tar Heels (1–0–1), who outshot the Bears 25–2.
“That’s a very talented freshman class,” UNC coach Anson Dorrance said after five of the seven first-year players played. “I think they all contributed in a very positive way.”
Thomas and freshman center back Savy King bring plenty of speed, and that’s making a big difference. Thomas set a program record, running what equates to a 4.8-second 40-yard dash.
“She just has to keep the first touch close. And then when she does, if it’s a race, she wins it,” Dorrance said of Thomas.
After Thomas couldn’t connect on a few good chances in the first half, she gave the Heels a two-score edge in the first two minutes of the second half. She tapped in a cross from Ally Sentnor for her first college goal.
“I just need to keep my touches a lot tighter,” said Thomas, who started after coming off the bench in Thursday’s scoreless draw at Penn State. “I think it just comes down to being patient and just taking it day by day. I was ecstatic. I was real excited to score. The pass was amazing from Sentnor and it just set me up in the best position.”
Dorrance called King’s game against Penn State, during which she ruined an excellent Nittany Lions transition chance with her speed, the best in program history by a freshman.
“I was speechless when I saw that,” King said. “That’s amazing. And that’s why I came here. I wanted to grow both as a person and as a player.
“And I think that the environment that I’m in and the people that I’m playing with are just absolutely amazing,” King said. “And there’s so much talent on this team. So to be able to be surrounded by that and be able to show my individuality along with them is just amazing. I’m super-happy with that.”
The Tar Heels continue to improve in their new 3-2-2-3 box setup, particularly in the second half, after using a 4-2-3-1 last season.
In the setup for the starters, the back three were right back Maycee Bell, center back King and left back Emerson Elgin, the next two midfielders Sam Meza and Emily Moxley, the next two midfielders Ally Sentnor and Emily Colton, with forwards Avery Patterson, Oliva Thomas and Talia Dellaperuta.
“What we have is we a numerical advantage in the midfield in one of the two lines,” Dorrance said “It’s almost an impossible system to play against unless you match it.”
Dorrance credits senior Meza, redshirt sophomore Sentnor and junior Colton with making the system work.
“They just dominate the game, but I also love my defense,” Dorrance said. “That back three is a good back three. I think the frontline is going to score goals. You started to see some of that today. So I think we’re going to be good at every line.”
It took less than three minutes for senior Patterson (top photo), who led the team in goals and points last season, to score off a corner on a left-footed strike, thanks to right back Bell’s assist. Patterson earned UNC’s player-of-the-match honors.
Cal’s only goal was a gift after a long transition pass in the 14th minute.
Bears forward Karlie Lema ran right by King, who couldn’t get behind Lema or intercept Malia McMahon’s pass from beyond midfield. UNC goalkeeper Emmie Allen ran out to grab the ball, but Lema tapped it to Allen’s right, then fired in an empty-net shot in Cal’s only shot of the first half.
“I don’t load that on her, the goal,” Dorrance said of King. “I load that on two other people. Obviously, the girl that was beaten at the flank and also the goalkeeper was too low. But this is all a learning experience for all of us. But yeah, Savy is an extraordinary center back already at a collegiate level.”
Rebimbas regained the lead for UNC in the 31st minute. After a cross from Oliaro, the ball tipped, and Rebimbas fired in a left-footed strike for her first college goal.
NOTES — UNC plays the second of five consecutive home games at 4 p.m. Thursday (ESPN3) against Wisconsin. The Badgers, who went 11–5–3 last season and won only one of their last six games, played Kansas to a scoreless draw in their opener on Thursday and beat UIC 1–0 at home on Sunday. … Carolina, 10–0–1 against California, also played the Bears in its 1988 home opener … There were four yellow cards, three on the Bears. … UNC had 11 corners compared to two for Cal and had possession 67% of the time. … UNC is 41–2–2 in home openers and undefeated in its first home game since the stadium was refurbished and named Dorrance Field in 2019. … Cal fell to 0–2 after losing 4–1 at Tennessee on Thursday. … Defender Julia Dorsey is out for the season after tearing an ACL during lacrosse season.
No. 2 UNC 3, Cal 1
| Date | Month/day | Time/score | Event/opponent (current rank) | Location | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August | |||||
| 7 | Monday | W, 8–1 | College of Charleston | Home | Exhibition |
| 12 | Saturday | W, 2–0 | East Carolina | Home | Exhibition |
| 17 | Thursday | T, 0–0 | No. 5 Penn State | University Park, Pa. | 0–0–1 |
| 20 | Sunday | W, 3–1 | Cal | Home | 1–0–1 |
| 24 | Thursday | T, 0–0 | No. 12 Wisconsin | Home | 1–0–2 |
| 27 | Sunday | W, 4–0 | No. 22 USC | Home | 2–0–2 |
| 31 | Thursday | W, 5–0 | Gardner-Webb | Home | 3–0–2 |
| September | |||||
| 3 | Sunday | W, 3–1 | No. 10 Arkansas | Home | 4–0–2 |
| 7 | Thursday | W, 2–1 | No. 16 South Carolina | Columbia, S.C. | 5–0–2 |
| 10 | Sunday | T, 1–1 | No. 24 Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 5–0–3 |
| 15 | Friday | W, 1–0 | Virginia Tech | Home | 6–0–3, 1–0 ACC |
| 21 | Thursday | W, 1–0 | Virginia | Charlottesville, Va. | 7–0–3, 2–0 ACC |
| 24 | Sunday | T, 3–3 | No. 1 Florida State | Home | 7–0–4, 2–0–1 ACC |
| 30 | Saturday | W, 4–0 | N.C. State | Raleigh | 8–0–4, 3–0–1 ACC |
| October | |||||
| 5 | Thursday | W, 1–0 | Miami | Home | 9–0–4, 4–0–1 ACC |
| 8 | Sunday | T, 1–1 | No. 25 Duke | Durham | 9–0–5, 4–0–2 ACC |
| 13 | Friday | T, 1–1 | No. 25 Wake Forest | Winston-Salem | 9–0–6, 4–0–3 ACC |
| 19 | Thursday | T, 1–1 | No. 9 Notre Dame | Home | 9–0–7, 4–0–4 ACC |
| 22 | Sunday | W, 6–1 | Syracuse | Home | 10–0–7, 5–0–4 ACC |
| 26 | Thursday | T, 1–1 | Boston College | Newton, Mass. | 10–0–8, 5–0–5 ACC |
| ACC tournament | |||||
| 29 | Sunday | L, 2–1 (2 OTs) | No. 11 Pittsburgh | Chapel Hill | 10–1–8 |
| November | NCAA tournament Link to bracket | ||||
| 10 | Friday | W, 3–1 | First round: Towson | Chapel Hill | 11–1–8 |
| 17 | Friday | W, 1–0 | Second round: No. 24 Alabama | Lubbock, Texas | 12–1–8 |
| 19 | Sunday | W, 1–0 | Third round: No. 4 Texas Tech | Lubbock, Texas | 13–1–8 |
| 24 | Friday | L, 4–3 | Quarterfinals: No. 6 Brigham Young | Provo, Utah | 13–2–8 |
Anthony Sorbellini photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications
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