The No. 1 UNC women’s soccer team fell for the first time in 2022 on Sunday afternoon, dropping a hotly-contested match with No. 3 UCLA at Dorrance Field, 2-1.

It’s the first time all season UNC has given up multiple goals in a single match.

A scoreless first half gave way to scoring aplenty in the second. Freshman Tori Dellaperuta gave Carolina the lead early in the second half, scoring for the third consecutive match. But the Tar Heels uncharacteristically couldn’t hold on to the lead, as UCLA equalized in the 61st minute and pushed in front in the 84th. UNC had no answer in the remaining few minutes.

Carolina’s offensive frustrations weren’t for a lack of trying. On the day, the Tar Heels outshot the Bruins 16-7 and held a 10-1 advantage in corner kicks. UCLA’s goalkeeper, Lauren Brzykcy, made four saves and outperformed either of UNC’s two keepers, Emmie Allen and Marz Josephson. Josephson played the second half and allowed both UCLA goals. It’s perhaps the first real sign of separation between the two Tar Heel keepers, who have been consistently splitting time since the season began.

The loss drops Carolina to 5-1 and, in all likelihood, out of their No. 1 ranking. The road will not get any easier, as the Tar Heels will next pay a visit to No. 2 Duke in Durham on Thursday night. The Blue Devils dealt Carolina a 1-0 loss in Chapel Hill last season.

 

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 biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Sports: Volleyball, Field Hockey Win; Women's Soccer Falls at Duke
Plenty of UNC Olympic sports teams were in action Sunday, as the field hockey and volleyball teams picked up big wins while the women’s soccer team lost at Duke. In volleyball, the Tar Heels traveled down to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech and came away with their first win against the Yellow Jackets since 2017. […]
UNC Women's Soccer Beats Boston College to Snap Losing Streak
Two late goals from Kate Faasse broke a 1-1 tie and helped UNC beat Boston College 3-1 at Dorrance Field Thursday night. The win snapped a two-match losing streak for the Tar Heels. Bounced back👏#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/2fccJq1rCV — UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) October 3, 2025 Carolina took a 1-0 lead thanks to a 39th-minute […]
Strong 2nd Half Not Enough as UNC Women's Soccer Falls at No. 2 Notre Dame
Freshman Lauren Malsom recorded a brace with two goals at No. 2 Notre Dame Wednesday night, but it wasn’t enough to help UNC dig out of an early deficit and the Tar Heels fell 4-3. It’s the team’s second consecutive loss. Malsom’s first goal came in the 39th minute, by which time the Tar Heels […]
UNC Women's Soccer Falls to No. 7 Florida State in Chapel Hill
A second-half goal helped No. 7 Florida State beat UNC 1-0 at Dorrance Field Wednesday night. The loss is Carolina’s first at home this season and snaps a 10-match home winning streak which dates back to the 2024 season. The Seminoles controlled much of the possession in the first half, outshooting the Tar Heels 7-3 […]
Late Goal Helps UNC Women's Soccer Win ACC Opener at Virginia Tech
Olivia Thomas scored a tiebreaking goal in the 87th minute to help UNC escape with a 2-1 victory at Virginia Tech in the ACC opener Thursday night in Blacksburg. Gritty win to open ACC play💪#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/K3bgsVDPNh — UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) September 12, 2025 Thomas’ strike capped off a late flurry of scoring […]
UNC Women's Soccer Shuts Out James Madison, Earns 1st Road Win of 2025
Olivia Thomas scored two more goals to earn her second brace in the last three matches as Carolina beat James Madison 3-0 on the road Sunday afternoon. It’s Carolina’s first road win of the season and fifth straight win overall. Successful business trip🤝#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/I1aNERMWke — UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) September 7, 2025 Thomas’ […]
UNC Women's Soccer Routs Alabama to Win 4th Straight Match
Kate Faasse scored a pair of second-half goals to help Carolina cruise past visiting Alabama 4-0 at Dorrance Field Thursday night. Big 𝙒 at Dorrance🙌#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/l9crTdTfPl — UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) September 5, 2025 Faasse’s two goals came in addition to an assist on UNC’s first goal of the night, a close-range shot […]
Thomas' 2 Goals Help UNC Women's Soccer Beat Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Olivia Thomas scored two goals and Kate Faasse added another as Carolina won its third straight match Sunday afternoon, beating visiting Wisconsin-Milwaukee 4-1 at Dorrance Field. Sundays are for Tar Heel dubs😏#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/fODdfDKGSi — UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) August 31, 2025 Thomas corralled a loose ball in the box and flicked it into […]
UNC Soccer: Men's and Women's Teams Each Pick Up Home Shutouts
Both the UNC men’s and women’s soccer teams were in action Thursday at Dorrance Field, and both teams came away with shutout victories. In the first match of the doubleheader, the women’s team throttled UNC-Greensboro 4-0, scoring two goals apiece in the first and second halves. Freshman Bella Devey opened the scoring in the 19th […]
UNC Soccer: Women Dominate Rice, Men Beat Seattle
Carolina had no trouble with visiting Rice at Dorrance Field Sunday afternoon, shutting out the Owls 4-0 and dominating in every facet of the match. Dubs at Dorrance >>>#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/rnEv9ilZJo — UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) August 24, 2025 Olivia Thomas opened the scoring in the 10th minute, spinning past her defender and firing […]
›