Texas A&M
North Carolina
No. 1 UNC Defeats No. 13 Aggies with Late Goals
Sep 12, 2009 | Soccer
Sept. 12, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The 13th-ranked Texas A&M soccer team held top-ranked and defending national champion North Carolina scoreless through 82 minutes, until two late goals lifted the Tar Heels to a 2-0 victory Saturday afternoon at Fetzer Field.
In front of a crowd of 1,846, UNC improved to 6-0-0, extending a 30-game winning streak, while the Aggies moved to 3-3-0, with each of their three losses coming at the hands of top 10 teams.
"I was proud of the way our team really went out and battled today," said head coach G Guerrieri. "I'm disappointed because it was a good effort by our team. The two scores were unfortunate, but North Carolina is a solid side. They have so many quality players and they did a good job of keeping the tempo how they wanted it. This game was a good measuring stick and we're not there yet. We need to try to get that signature win and hopefully it's coming soon."
The Aggie defense played a flawless first half holding the Tar Heels to a season-low five shots, with just one on goal, while firing off two.
A&M struck for its first shot just six minutes into the match. From A&M's defensive half, senior Emily Peterson lifted the ball up field where senior Amber Gnatzig chased it down a step ahead of a UNC defender. The Humble, Texas, native got a foot on the ball on the run and forced UNC goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris to make a one-handed save above her head.
On the left flank in the 19th minute, sophomore Becca Herrera sent a high cross from just past midfield to junior Nicole Ketchum in the box who one-timed a shot over the cross bar.
Junior midfielder Rachel Shipley exemplified the defensive effort after winning a battle against 2008 Olympic Gold medalist Tobin Heath in the corner of A&M's defensive third. With 15 minutes remaining in the half, Heath attempted a cross from the left corner. 1v1, Shipley blocked it, won the ball seconds later and cleared it to midfield.
The two teams went into the halftime break locked in a scoreless battle.
UNC started with the ball to begin the second period and five minutes in, Casey Nogueira broke away from the Aggie defense looking to score, but junior goalkeeper Kristin Arnold came off her line and dove in front of Nogueria to block her shot and keep the game knotted 0-0.
A&M produced several opportunities in the first 15 minutes. Two early shots were followed in the 56th minute as freshman Kim Castleberry raced down the sideline with the ball at her feet after a throw in on the right side. From McKinney, Texas, the forward made it all the way into the penalty box before sending a cross that was cleared back out to a waiting Shipley at the corner of the box. She immediately chipped the ball back in where freshman Chelsea Jones headed it on goal and off the hands of Harris and over the crossbar. On the subsequent corner kick, Young one-timed a strike over the goal.
Midway through the half, in a very even game, shots were equal at six a piece, until UNC started to pour on the offensive pressure. Arnold remained steady on her line and made another spectacular save, one of her five for the game, in the 73rd minute, this time from point-blank range against a relentless Heath.
As the pressure continued, what initially looked like a harmless cross from Heath in the 82nd minute was picked up by Nikki Washington on the far side of the goal where she put the ball inside the right post from nine yards to give UNC a 1-0 lead.
With two-and-a-half minutes remaining, Jessica McDonald made the score 2-0 as she put the ball in the back of the net from 15 yards past a diving Arnold.
UNC outshot the A&M 9-0 in the final 20 minutes for a 15-6 shot advantage. The Aggies and the Tarheels were each called offside four times in the match.
"Unfortunately we showed a little bit of our youth; we were offside way too many times," commented Guerrieri. "We had opportunities to get in for breakaways, but would step offside and that's just a little bit of naivety that we have to train out of our players."
The Aggies get another shot at a top-ranked opponent as they return home next weekend to host No. 2 Portland on Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Aggie Soccer Stadium.
