After the first half came to a close Sunday afternoon, hosts Ohio State had fired 12 shots toward UNC goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. And yet, the Tar Heels led by a goal.

The No. 2 UNC women’s soccer team weathered the Buckeyes’ first half flurry and added a critical insurance goal in the second half to win their second road game of the week, 2-0.

The senior Dickey, who earlier in the month had been named to the watch list for the Hermann Trophy honoring the nation’s top female collegiate player, made seven saves in the first half to keep Ohio State off the board. Had play been stopped at halftime, Dickey would’ve already had a career-high for saves in a single game.

It was sophomore Avery Patterson who opened the scoring for Carolina, deflecting in a free kick from teammate Rachel Jones in the 17th minute. Patterson’s goal served as one of only three Tar Heel shots during the first half.

The Buckeyes came very close to equalizing ten minutes later, but Dickey stood tall to deny a one-on-one opportunity from Ohio State forward Emma Sears.

Carolina completely demoralized the Buckeyes by adding a second goal just five minutes into the second half. Head coach Anson Dorrance’s coalition of Emilies worked its magic again, with Emily Murphy threading a pass to Emily Colton in the box. Colton’s initial shot was saved, but senior forward Rachel Dorwart finished the job by deflecting in the rebound. The goal wouldn’t win a beauty contest, but it helped Carolina all the same.

The Buckeyes’ attack did not prove as dangerous in the second half as in the first, with the Tar Heels outshooting Ohio State 10-6 in the period. Dickey still had to make two additional saves, bringing her total on the afternoon to nine.

The Tar Heels will now head back to Chapel Hill after their brief midwestern trip saw them outscore their opponents 7-1 in two true road environments. The program has won 46 of its last 51 games, and will look to continue its winning ways when it hosts Northwestern Thursday night at 7 p.m.

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