The NC State women’s soccer team battled its Tobacco Road rivals in a tense road match but fell to the No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels 2-0 on Sunday, Oct. 9.
In its third ACC loss, the Wolfpack (7-5-3, 2-4-0 ACC) was able to limit the damage done on the scoreboard thanks to a career-day in between the posts by junior goalkeeper Maria Echezarreta but couldn’t keep up with the Tar Heels (11-3-0, 4-2-0 ACC) offensively. A perennial superpower in women’s soccer, the dangerous UNC squad didn’t shrink in the face of its rival and used its talented roster and consistent play to down the Pack.
While there was only a two-goal difference on the scoreboard, the Heels decimated NC State on offense, firing an oppressive barrage of 29 shots, 12 of which were on goal. Meanwhile, the red-and-white was stifled, only getting three shots off in the entire match.
With UNC’s relentless offense, it could have been a very different game in terms of the score, but Echezarreta had other things to say. With a career-high 10 saves, Echezarreta played lights-out defense, refusing to let the Tar Heels run up the score. The junior made play after play in goal, but with a lack of offense from her team, UNC was able to put two unanswered goals past Echezarreta.
Despite the result, NC State started the game off with some good looks in the attacking third. In the 13th minute, senior forward Leyah Hall-Robinson made a pass to sophomore defender Fernanda Soto, who just missed the goal on the resulting shot.
It turned out that this was the Pack’s best chance on goal in the entire match, and after more scoreless action in the first half, North Carolina finally broke through Echezarreta and the defense, making it 1-0 in the 43rd minute.
With 29 shots and seven corners to deal with, NC State’s defense could only repel UNC so much, and once the Heels found the back of the net, they were determined to bag another score. Immediately after the break, they did just that, scoring a kickoff goal just 37 seconds into the second half.
After falling down 2-0, Echezarreta continued to make save after save as she and the rest of her defense continued to contend with UNC’s onslaught. However, with a severe lack of offense, North Carolina’s lead was never in jeopardy.
The final 15 minutes saw some last-ditch efforts by NC State to get on the board. A dangerous shot by Hall-Robinson and a free kick near the end of the match gave the Pack a glimmer of hope, but UNC’s powerful squad never let the ball get past the posts.
As perhaps the best team NC State will face all season, the Wolfpack was able to repel the Tar Heels enough due to Echezarreta’s heroic effort in goal. However, another lackluster offensive showing led to a scoreless outing for the red-and-white.
NC State will continue its ACC campaign when it returns home to Dail Soccer Field after three straight games on the road. Two more conference matches are on tap at home before the squad plays its final two matches of the season, which are both on the road.
Next up is a date with Miami in another ACC showdown on Saturday, Oct. 15. Kickoff against the Hurricanes is set for 7 p.m.
