Women's Soccer Defeated by No. 2 North Carolina

Thursday, October 19

Raleigh, N.C.

4:00 PM

NC State

8-6-2, 3-5ACC

No. 2 North Carolina

17-1, 9-0ACC

North Carolina

NC State

10/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Raleigh, N.C. -- The NC State women’s soccer team (8-6-2, 3-5 ACC) fell to No. 2 North Carolina (17-1, 9-0 ACC) on Thursday, Oct. 19 at Method Road Soccer Stadium. The Tar Heels posted four goals, scored by Whitney Engen, Jaime Gilbert, Tobin Heath, and Yael Averbuch. Sophomore Lindsay Vera scored the Wolfpack’s lone goal of the game. Senior goalkeeper Megan Connors netted seven saves in the 4-1 loss.

"We had opportunities early on in the game," said NC State head coach Laura Kerrigan. "If we could have put them away, this game would have been different. I'm proud that we were able to come back and score after UNC's first goal; they're a tough team. We had a plan going into the second half, but we weren't able to execute it."

The Pack started strong, with Vera posting the first shot of the game eight minutes in after receiving the long ball from senior Carol Tognetti. UNC goalie Anna Rodenbough came out of the box to block the ball from going in. Eleven minutes into the match, Heather O’Reilly took a corner kick for the Tar Heels, which bounced off of Heath, and Engen headed in the ball to give the Tar Heels the first goal of the game. Twenty seconds later, Vera received another pass from Tognetti, and netted the Pack’s goal past the hands of Rodenbough. Seventeen minutes into the half, Heath Robyn Gayle took shot each, one after the other, with the first being batted away by Connors and the second being deflected by a red and white defender. At the 34:50 mark, Gilbert booted the ball past Connors for the second Carolina goal after a pass combination from Nikki Washington and Sterling Smith. The Pack was out shot 14-3 at the end of the half.

Ten minutes into the second half, Elizabeth Guess posted a shot for the Tar Heels, but Connors batted the ball away. Three minutes later, Guess took two shots, one after the other. With Connors saving the first one, there was a scuffle in the net, and finally senior Megan Buescher kicked the ball down the field away from the NC State goal. At the 71:42 minute mark, Heath posted the third Tar Heel goal off a pass from Casey Nogueira. Three minutes later, Averbuch netted the final goal of the game off of a pass combination from Nogueira and Smith. NC State was held without a shot during the second half.

The red and white travels to Clemson, South Carolina to take on the Tigers on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ACC Select.