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HAPEL HILL — Many Carolina players wore gloves on a night in the mid-30s, but the gloves were off when it came to throwing down the Tar Heels’ new, more aggressive approach. Redshirt freshman forward Ally Sentnor, scoring twice for the second consecutive NCAA tournament game, was the main catalyst as No. 2-ranked UNC coasted to a 3–1 victory Thursday over No. 7-seed and unranked Georgia in the second round at Dorrance Field.
CHAPEL HILL — Carolina’s redemption season took another step on an emotional day that marked the final home game for transcendent Tar Heels star Erin Matson. She’s given fans so many eye-popping memories over her five-year UNC career and added another one with a hat trick in her final game at Karen Shelton Stadium. One season after the Tar Heels lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament, top-ranked Carolina rolled past Saint Joseph’s 5–1 on Sunday in the quarterfinals with the domination that showed why it’s the best and the most tradition-rich program in the country.
CARY — Carolina has the women’s soccer tradition, but Florida State again showed that it continues to be the team to beat for now. The No. 5-ranked and No. 2-seed Seminoles rallied from a goal down early to beat the No. 2-ranked and No. 1-seed Tar Heels 2–1 Sunday for their third consecutive ACC tournament title before 3,876 fans.
CHAPEL HILL — From the start of the season, Coach Anson Dorrance said he had one of his deepest teams — except for his group of defenders. And that group keeps getting smaller. After losing for the season star center back Macee Bell in the season opener and then Kayleigh Herr, her replacement, shortly afterward, the Tar Heels persevered with defenders such as Julia Dorsey routinely playing all 90 minutes.
North Carolina jumped three spots to No. 2 in the latest United Soccer Coaches women’s soccer Top 25 poll after a pair of shutout ACC victories last week. The Tar Heels (11–3, 4–2 ACC), who defeated Pittsburgh 4–0 on Thursday and N.C. State 2–0 on Sunday, are tied at No. 2 with Alabama (13–1–1).
CHAPEL HILL — In Carolina’s 400th home women’s soccer victory in program history, the Tar Heels’ scoring chances didn’t number that high, but it almost felt like it as they kept coming. With UNC dominating possession and keeping N.C. State’s chances to a minimum, only the outstanding goaltending from Wolfpack goalkeeper Maria Echezarreta kept it close. The Heels still came away with an impressive 2–0 victory Sunday before 3,683 fans at Dorrance Field.
CHAPEL HILL — Coming off a frustrating road loss and facing a No. 13 Pittsburgh team off to the best start in program history, No. 5 Carolina showed that it’s still one of the country’s most dangerous women’s soccer teams. UNC’s performance in a 4–0 win Thursday night at Dorrance Field to snap a five-game Panthers win streak was as dominating as Saturday night’s 2–1 loss at Virginia Tech was surprising.
Carolina fell two spots to No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 women’s poll after losing Saturday night at Virginia Tech 2–1. The Tar Heels (9–3–0, 2–2–0 ACC), were top-ranked before losing 2–1 to UCLA on Sept. 4, and the Bruins have remained No. 1 since then. Carolina lost to Virginia 3–2 on Sept. 17 and the Cavaliers (10–1–1, 3–1) remain No. 2.
CHAPEL HILL — After a tough two-match stretch and a frustrating first 43 minutes against Boston College on Sunday, No. 3 North Carolina showed why it’s one of the best women’s soccer teams in the country. At the wrong end of that, as is usually the case in this series, were the Eagles. The Tar Heels scored late in the first half and turned up the heat in the second half on their way to a 3–0 victory at Dorrance Field to shut out BC for the ninth time in the last 11 meetings.
CHAPEL HILL — The final season of the Erin Matson Show is becoming wildly popular. An overflow crowd estimated at 1,150, one of the largest in UNC program history, turned out for the latest episode on a sun-splashed Friday afternoon at Karen Shelton Stadium. Many fans were standing or sitting on the grass to watch a legend of Carolina’s storied field hockey program.
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