By R.L. Bynum
No. 9 North Carolina opened its western road swing during one of the program’s most challenging road trips in years with a hard-fought test Thursday night, escaping with a 2–1 women’s soccer win over Arizona in Tucson.
The Tar Heels (4–1) were playing their first match since their 3–0 win over Shelbourne FC in Dublin on Friday, and they made the long trip Sunday from there to Arizona, with an eight-hour time difference.
After playing before the largest crowd for a women’s match in Tolka Park history on Friday, UNC drew 1,753 fans to Mulcahy Stadium, the largest crowd in Wildcats program history.
After a few days to acclimate their body clocks, the Tar Heels needed patience early. Carolina didn’t attempt a shot until the 15th minute, but once the offense found its footing, it came in bursts. Three attempts followed in the next five minutes, though none found the back of the net.
The best scoring chance of the opening half came when freshman Scottie Antonucci drew a penalty late in the period, only to see her attempt from the spot turned away by the Arizona goalkeeper, and it was a scoreless draw at halftime. It was the first time this season UNC didn’t score in the first half.
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Whatever adjustments Carolina made at halftime paid off immediately.
The Tar Heels came out of the locker room with more purpose, and it showed just three minutes into the second half when they drew another penalty. This time, midfielder Summer Denigan made no mistake, converting in the 48th minute. The goal marked Denigan’s fourth straight match finding the scoresheet.
Carolina doubled its advantage in the 75th minute on a well-worked sequence. Riley Kennedy slipped a pass into the penalty area, finding Bella Devey, who battled to finish for her sixth goal of the season, already surpassing her total from a year ago (5). The score pushed the lead to 2–0 and appeared to put the match out of reach.
Four minutes later, Jessica Ariz Bedolla found the net for the Wildcats (2–2–1), cutting the deficit in half and setting up a tense final stretch.
The Tar Heel defense held firm the rest of the way, closing out UNC’s second win in as many road matches this season.
Carolina controlled much of the match statistically, winning the shots battle 19–5 and shots on goal 9–4.
North Carolina finishes its road trip at 1 p.m. ET Sunday (ESPN+) when it visits Arizona State (4–0–2). The undefeated Sun Devils tied Dartmouth at home Thursday 1–1.
No. 9 UNC 2, Arizona 1
| Date | Month/day | Time/ score | Opponent (current rankings) | Record/ TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August | ||||
| 5 | Wednesday | W, 1–0 | vs. South Carolina | Exhib. |
| 13 | Thursday | W, 4–0 | vs. Fairfield | 1–0 |
| 16 | Sunday | W, 8–0 | vs. Quinnipiac | 2–0 |
| 20 | Thursday | W, 2–0 | at Arkansas | 3–0 |
| 23 | Sunday | L, 3–2 | vs. No. 3 Michigan State | 3–1 |
| 28 | Friday | W, 3–0 | at Shebourne FC | Friendly |
| September | ||||
| 3 | Thursday | W, 2–1 | at Arizona | 4–1 |
| 6 | Sunday | 1 p.m. ET | at Arizona State | ESPN+ |
| 10 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | vs. California | |
| 13 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | vs. NJIT | |
| 17 | Thursday | 8 p.m. | vs. No. 2 Duke | ACCN |
| 20 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | vs. Alcorn State | |
| 25 | Friday | 7 p.m. | at No. 12 Virginia | |
| October | ||||
| 2 | Friday | 6 p.m. | vs. No. 25 Notre Dame | ACCN |
| 9 | Friday | 7 p.m. | at No. 15 Florida State | ESPNU |
| 15 | Thursday | 8 p.m. | at Clemson | ACCN |
| 18 | Sunday | 3:30 | at Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 23 | Friday | 6 p.m. | vs. No. 1 Stanford | ACCN |
| 29 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | vs. SMU | |
| November | ||||
| 5 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | at Louisville | |
| 8, 12, 15 | Sunday, Thur., Sun. | ACC tournament | Semifinals, final in Cary | |
| NCAA tournament | (first four rounds at campus sites) | |||
| 20-22 | Fri.-Sun | First round | ||
| 26 | Thursday | Second round | ||
| 29 | Sunday | Third round | ||
| December | ||||
| 4, 5 | Fri., Sat. | Quarterfinals | ||
| 10, 13 | Thur., Sun. | Women’s College Cup Cary |
Photo via arizonawildcats.com
