Carolina overcame a 1-0 deficit in the second half to stay unbeaten on the 2024 season with a 2-1 win against Cal at Dorrance Field on Saturday night.
UNC scored twice in the match’s final half-hour after Cal had taken a 1-0 lead in the 60th minute. Parker O’Ferral turned home a cross from Ahmad Al-Qaq to equalize in the 67th minute before Al-Qaq did the job himself in the 80th with a long-range effort to give the Tar Heels the lead.
In the Tar Heel net, goalkeeper Andrew Cordes made a season-high four saves, with his last thwarting a potential Cal equalizer in the 86th minute.
Carolina nearly doubled up Cal on total shots (13-7) and held an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal. Al-Qaq, active all night, accounted for five of UNC’s 13 shots and half of the team’s shots on goal in just 64 minutes. His 22 total shots this season rank second on the team.
With the win, Carolina improves to 6-0-3 on the season and 3-0-0 in ACC play. By comparison, UNC had only two regular-season ACC wins in the entirety of the 2023 season. The Tar Heels will hit the road for a stiff test next week, visiting reigning national champions Clemson on Friday, October 4 at 7 p.m.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jerome M. Ibrahim
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