Top-Ranked Cavaliers Down No. 4 North Carolina 2-0
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Oct. 20, 2013
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The top-ranked Virginia women’s soccer team recorded its second top-five win of the season by downing No. 4 North Carolina 2-0 Sunday at Fetzer Field. The Cavaliers (16-0, 10-0 ACC) tied a school record with their 16th consecutive victory, while the Tar Heels fell to 13-3 overall and 7-3 in the conference.
Sophomores Brittany Ratcliffe (Williamstown, N.J.) and Makenzy Doniak (Chino Hills, Calif.) scored for the Cavaliers, who handed North Carolina just their second multi-goal loss since 1986, a span of 690 games.
“North Carolina has always been a great team and we always know this is going to be a good game,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “It was a different kind of game. They do some different things, so we have to prepare for that. There weren’t many chances out there for both teams, but we took our chances well. It was a tough game today, but I was proud with how we competed and we tried to put some pieces of good soccer together at times.”
The Cavaliers took the lead in the 13th minute of play on the game’s first shot. A cross from junior Danielle Colaprico (Freehold, N.J.) found Ratcliffe inside the 6-yard box and she tapped the ball inside the post for her 11th goal of the season. That was the only goal of the opening 45 minutes as Virginia took the 1-0 lead into intermission.
The second half featured few chances either way, just like the first half, but Virginia capitalized on one in the 84th minute. Sophomore defender Emily Sonnett (Marietta, Ga.) won a ball in the midfield and threaded a pass to Doniak, who scored off the breakaway for her team-leading 12th goal of the season.
With the victory, Virginia clinches a home game in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament in two weeks. The Cavaliers also became the first team to ever win at North Carolina in three consecutive seasons. Virginia also became the first school to win at all four Tobacco Road schools in the same season.
Both teams played the game with out their leading scorer as Virginia junior midfielder Morgan Brian (St. Simons Island, Ga.) and North Carolina senior midfielder Crystal Dunn played for the United States in the Americans’ 4-0 friendly win over Australia in San Antonio.
“It was difficult not having both Crystal and Morgan here,” said Swanson. “I think the game lost something because of that. But we both understand that that is their future and we support that.”
Overall, Virginia outshot North Carolina 6-4 in the contest, as the Tar Heels tied their school record for fewest shots in a game, set in last year’s ACC Quarterfinal against the Cavaliers. First-year Morgan Stearns (San Antonio, Texas) made two saves in goal for Virginia to post her sixth shutout of the season. Bryane Heaberlin and Anna Sieloff each made one save during a half in goal for North Carolina.
Virginia closes out the regular season with a three-game homestand beginning Thursday against Miami. Game time at Klöckner Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
#1 VIRGINIA 2, #4 NORTH CAROLINA 0
#1 Virginia (16-0, 10-0) 1 1 – 2
#4 North Carolina (13-3, 7-3) 0 0 – 0
Scoring Summary
1. UVa. Brittany Ratcliffe 11 (Danielle Colaprico 9, Molly Menchel 4) 13′
2. UVa. Makenzy Doniak 12 (Emily Sonnett 3) 84′
Stats
Shots: UVa 6, UNC 4
SOG: UVa 4, UNC 2
Corners: UVa 1, UNC 4
Saves: UVa 1 (Stearns 2), UNC 2 (Heaberlin 1, Sieloff 1)
Fouls: UVa 4, UNC 10
Attendance: 1,621