By R.L. Bynum
In North Carolina’s first game as the nation’s No. 1 women’s soccer team, the undefeated Tar Heels showed why with terrific defense against their fifth ranked opponent in 10 games.
Junior forward Ally Sentnor gave UNC the only goal it would need in a 1–0 victory over No. 22 Virginia on Thursday night at Klöckner Stadium in Charlottesville, Va.
UNC (7–0–3, 2–0 ACC), 3–0–2 against ranked teams, handed the Cavaliers (5–1–3, 0–1–1) their first loss in Virginia’s first game against a ranked team.
Sentnor, who had a good all-around game, broke through for Carolina in the 55th minute with a drive off a counter for a long left-footed shot just inside the right post. Virginia goalkeeper Cayla White dove to her left but couldn’t make the stop.
Sentnor had five of UNC’s 11 shots.
“Ally’s goal was excellent, but there was so much more to it,” UNC coach Anson Dorrance said. “She played the game at a sprint pace for the entire 81 minutes she was out there; she defended like her life depended on it, and she went through people like a Futsal pro. I can’t say enough positive things about her. I hope the future U.S. National Team coach was watching this game, because her performance was U.S. full-team level!”
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Emmie Allen recorded her fifth shutout of the season and second in a row after blanking Virginia Tech 1–0 on Sunday. Allen, who has 19 career clean sheets, only had to make two saves but thwarted other Cavaliers chances.
Allen dove to her right in the 34th minute to push Yuna McCormack’s shot wide. White stopped a close-in shot from Carolina forward Mia Oliaro two minutes later.
Allen foiled an excellent Virginia chance in the final minute of the first half, challenging Virginia’s Degan Miller in the box, and her shot went high over the crossbar.
After not being outshot in any half this season before Virginia Tech outshot UNC in the first half of Sunday’s 1–0 Tar Heels win, the Cavaliers outshot Carolina 5–4 in the first half. The Tar Heels outshot Virginia for the game 11–9.
Sentnor nearly back-footed in a goal off of an Avery Patterson cross in the 70th minute.
Carolina had to sweat an excellent chance in the 88th minute, but the shot from Virginia’s Maggie Cagle went wide.
NOTES — Carolina hosts No. 3 Florida State at noon Sunday (ESPNU). The Seminoles (7–0, 2–0) won Thursday night at Syracuse 3–2, outshooting the Orange 33–2. One of Syracuse’s goals was an on-goal. … UNC got its first win over the Cavaliers since 2020 after they played to a scoreless draw in 2021, and Virginia won 3–2 in Chapel Hill last season. … Carolina leads the all-time series 40–5–5. … Freshman Melina Rebimbas got her first career start with freshman Olivia Thomas still out and sophomore forward Tori Dellaperuta playing for the Italian U23 youth team. … Fifth-year forward Isabel Cox played after missing the Virginia Tech game. … UNC defenders Maycee Bell, Savy King and Emily Moxley each played all 90 minutes. … Carolina is the last Division I school with both soccer teams undefeated after Northwestern’s women lost 2–0 Thursday to Michigan and Old Dominion’s women lost 1–0 to Louisiana. UNC’s men’s team moved to 3–0–3 on Tuesday with a 3–0 home victory over UNCW. The men’s team hosts No. 8 Duke at 7 p.m. Saturday (ESPN3).
No. 1 UNC 1, No. 22 Virginia 0
| 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 |
Photo by Keith Lucas courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications
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