CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The 13th-ranked Notre Dame women’s soccer team battled the top-ranked team in the country Sunday afternoon but ultimately fell to No. 1 North Carolina 2-0 at Dorrance Field. Despite the loss, the Irish still earned a berth in the ACC Championship, which starts with the quarterfinals next Tuesday on November 10.
How It Happened
The Irish put the pressure on in the opening minutes and ended up with the first chance of the game in the third minute.
Olivia Wingate took advantage of a North Carolina turnover just outside the box. She turned towards goal and fired a low shot on goal but Claudia Dickey was able to make the save for the Tar Heels.
North Carolina took over possession in the middle of the half and it led to the first goal of the game. After a turnover in the midfield, Libby Moore played a ball up to Hallie Klanke as she made a run into the right side of the box. After one touch, she sent a low, driven ball towards the far post that beat Interian to give the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Mattie Interian made two big saves in the first few minutes to keep the Irish within one. Rachel Jones had a point blank opportunity off a cross but Interian was there to take away the angle and scoop up the save. Just a few seconds later, Interian stopped Sam Mezza’s shot on goal.
In the 50th minute, the Tar Heels got back on the scoreboard off of a free kick in their attacking third. Isabella Cox headed the free kick across the box to Brianna Pinto who snuck the ball under the bar to increase North Carolina’s lead to 2-0.
Interian ended the match with a career high seven saves, eclipsing her previous high of six she set during her freshman season in 2018.
Up Next
The Irish earned the eighth seed in the ACC Tournament and will face off with the No. 1 seed Florida State on Tuesday November 10th from Cary, N.C. It will be the first match of the quarterfinals with kickoff set for 12:30 p.m. ET and it will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
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