Tessa Dellarose scored from point-blank range in the 90th minute to finally break a scoreless tie and give Carolina a 1-0 win against Santa Clara in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Dorrance Field on Friday night. The Tar Heels will face No. 6 seed Minnesota in the round of 16 on Sunday.

The winner had been a long time coming, as Carolina sent 15 shots toward the Santa Clara net in the second half after the two teams each had four in the second half. Among UNC’s wasted chances were multiple deflections off the post or crossbar, including a point-blank opportunity from Kate Faasse which strayed too high. Faasse also missed everything on an open header as part of a frustrating first 89 minutes.

On the defensive side, Carolina keeper Clare Gagne kept Santa Clara scoreless in the first half by stopping a penalty kick in the 34th minute. It was one of three saves for Gagne as she kept her second clean sheet of the tournament.

Carolina’s winning moment came with less than 30 seconds to go in regulation. Olivia Thomas fired a shot which was saved by the Bronco keeper, only for Faasse to challenge for the rebound. Faasse and several Santa Clara defenders converged on the ball in front of the goal mouth, but it somehow fell to the trailing Dellarose, who finished off the chance.

The win advances Carolina to the NCAA Tournament’s round of 16 for the third straight season. The Tar Heels are now 18-5 overall entering Sunday’s match with Minnesota, which defeated No. 3 seed South Carolina at Dorrance Field earlier in the day. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m., and the match will be broadcast on ESPN+.

 

Featured image via UNC Women’s Soccer on Twitter

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC's Bella Devey Named ACC Offensive Player of the Week for a Second Time
Following a two-goal performance in No. 1 UNC’s 3-1 win at No. 16 Virginia Friday evening, Bella Devey has been named the ACC’s Offensive Player of the Week. It’s the second time this season Devey has earned the honor and the second consecutive week a Tar Heel has taken it home, after Lilliah Blum did […]
UNC Women's Soccer Jumps to No. 1 in Newest National Coaches Poll
On the heels of a six-match winning streak which included a 4-2 win against then-No. 2 Duke, UNC jumped six spots from No. 7 to the No. 1 ranking in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll, released Tuesday. It’s the first time the team has been ranked No. 1 since the 2025 preseason poll, when […]
Photo Gallery: UNC Women's Soccer vs. Alcorn State
UNC beat Alcorn State 5-0 at Dorrance Field Sunday afternoon. Check out Caleb Rothrock's photo highlights from the match!
This Week in UNC Sports: September 21-27, 2026
This series of posts will be made weekly on Chapelboro with a full schedule of UNC sports contests, both in Chapel Hill and elsewhere. Note that game times and broadcast information are subject to change due to inclement weather or other factors. It’s a lighter week for UNC sports as we approach the end of […]
UNC Sports: Women's Soccer Wins; Men's Soccer, Field Hockey Both Lose
It was a busy weekend across the UNC sports spectrum, as both soccer teams and the field hockey team were in action late Saturday and early Sunday. The women’s soccer team continued its hot streak with a blowout win, while the men’s soccer and field hockey teams each suffered conference losses. The men’s team took […]
Second-Half Comeback Helps UNC Women's Soccer Beat No. 2 Duke in Chapel Hill
In front of the second-largest crowd in program history, UNC scored three unanswered goals in the second half to overcome a 2-1 deficit and beat No. 2 Duke 4-2 at Dorrance Field Thursday night. It was the Blue Devils’ first loss of the season and the Tar Heels’ first win of the season against a […]
This Week in UNC Sports: September 14-20, 2026
The upcoming week offers several high-caliber matchups for multiple UNC teams both at home and on the road.
UNC Women's Soccer Locks Down Cal, Wins ACC Opener
UNC held visiting Cal without a single shot on target Thursday night at Dorrance Field, and the Tar Heels cruised to a 3-0 win in their first ACC match of the season. Only way to start ACC play 👏#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/kHB8FgH2pT — UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) September 11, 2026 Carolina took the lead inside […]
UNC Soccer: Women Win at Arizona State, Men Draw at Cal
Both the UNC men’s and women’s soccer teams were playing out west Sunday. The women used a penalty kick goal to beat Arizona State 1-0 in Tempe, while the men battled to a 2-2 draw against Cal in Berkeley. On the women’s side, the Tar Heels and Sun Devils combined for just seven total shots […]
UNC Women's Soccer Beats Arizona in First Game of Western Trip
A pair of second half goals from Summer Denigan and Bella Devey helped UNC beat Arizona 2-1 in Tucson Thursday night. Found a way 👏#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/iLokMXQPye — UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) September 4, 2026 The two teams went into halftime tied at 0-0 despite UNC controlling most of the chances. The Tar Heels […]
›