By R.L. Bynum
North Carolina and Alabama both advanced to the Women’s College Cup last season, but only the Tar Heels are two wins away from returning.
The No. 3-seed Tar Heels returned to dominant form, getting a first-half goal from Ally Sentnor in a 1–0 victory over the No. 5-seed Crimson Tide in the second round of the NCAA tournament Friday afternoon at the John Walker Soccer Complex in Lubbock, Texas.
No. 12-ranked UNC (12–1–8) can make it back to Cary and the College Cup with a victory Sunday against No. 2-seed and regional host Texas Tech (16–1–5), which advanced 4–3 on penalty kicks after a scoreless draw with No. 7-seed Princeton (10–5–4).
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After UNC and Alabama played a 1–1 draw in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Sept. 10, there was little question which was the better team on Friday as the Tar Heels outshot the Tide 15–4, with edges of 9–0 in shots on goal and 6–2 in corners.
The Tar Heels came opened the game with plenty of pressure, forcing three saves in the first 18 minutes. Sentnor got her ninth goal of the season and her team-high 23rd point when she fired a right-footed shot into the top-right of the net in the 19th minute off an assist from Emerson Elgin.
Carolina goaltender Emmie Allen didn’t have to make any saves to earn her seventh shutout of the season.
No. 24-ranked Alabama finished 12–5–5.
NOTES — UNC is 146–17–5 all-time in NCAA tournament play and 28–1 in second-round games. … The Tar Heels have appeared in 31 College Cups, including four of the last five. … UNC has advanced to the national title game 27 times (including three of the last five), and has finished as the runner-up six times overall. … In the only previous seasons as the No. 3 seed, UNC won the first NCAA women’s soccer title in 1982 and lost in the second round in 2015. … UNC’s Maycee Bell, Isabel Cox and Julia Dorsey have been part of three College Cup teams and two runner-up finishes.
No. 12 UNC 1, No. 24 Alabama 0
| Date | Month/day | Time/ score | Opponent | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August | ||||
| 14 | Thursday | L, 2–0 | at Tennessee | 0–1 |
| 17 | Sunday | W, 5–0 | vs. Siena | 1–1 |
| 21 | Thursday | 6:30 | at Georgia | SECN+ |
| 24 | Sunday | Noon | vs. Rice | ACCNE |
| 28 | Thursday | 4 p.m. | vs. UNCG | ACCNE |
| 31 | Sunday | Noon | vs. Wisc.-Milwaukee | |
| September | ||||
| 4 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | vs. Alabama | |
| 7 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | vs. James Madison | |
| 11 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | at Virginia Tech | |
| 17 | Wednesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Florida State | ACCN |
| 25 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | At Notre Dame | ACCN |
| October | ||||
| 2 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | vs. Boston College | ACCN |
| 5 | Sunday | 4 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh | |
| 12 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | at Duke | ESPNU |
| 17 | Friday | 6 p.m. | at SMU | |
| 23 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | at Miami | |
| 26 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | vs. Syracuse | |
| 30 | Thursday | 8 p.m. | vs. N.C. State | ACCN |
| November | ACC tournament | |||
| 2 | Sunday | First round: Campus sites | ||
| 6, 9 | Thurs., Sun. | W, 2–1 | Semifinals, final: Cary | |
| NCAA tournament | ||||
| 13 | Thursday | First round Campus sites | ||
| December | Women’s College Cup | |||
| 5, 8 | Fri., Mon. | CPKC Stadium Kansas City |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications
