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 the pitch Saturday night at Dorrance Field against No. 21 Clemson and outshot the Tigers by a significant margin, but nonetheless fell 2-1. Clemson took the lead inside 10 minutes on a goal from the Tigers’ Martin Bakken, but UNC equalized in the 36th minute thanks to Joschi Schelb’s team-leading fifth goal of the season. Clemson’s Christian Scott was shown a red card just 67 seconds later, giving the Tar Heels a man advantage for the remainder of the match.

UNC kept the pressure on in the second half but were undone by the 10-man Tigers, as Clemson took the lead back in the 61st minute and held onto it from there. It was the only Clemson shot of the second half, compared to 12 from the Tar Heels. Carolina also took 16 corner kicks to the Tigers’ three.

With Saturday’s loss, UNC is now 2-2-3 overall and 0-1-2 in conference play. It was the first home loss of the season. The Tar Heels will be back in action when they host Lipscomb Saturday at 7 p.m.

It was a happier weekend for the women’s team, as the Tar Heels were all business in a 5-0 win against visiting Alcorn State Sunday. Carolina scored two goals in a span of 2:02 early in the first half, then added another in the 26th minute. Deus Stanislaus accounted for two of the goals for a first-half brace.

Bella Devey scored in the 17th and 58th minutes for a brace of her own before Logan Tongberg added the finishing touches in the 89th minute. UNC outshot Alcorn State 10-3 overall and held the Braves without a shot on target, the third time this season the Tar Heels have done so to an opponent.

Carolina is now 9-1 overall and 2-0 in ACC play, having won six consecutive matches. The Tar Heels’ four match homestand saw them outscore the opposition 17-2. Up next, UNC will travel to Charlottesville to take on No. 13 Virginia Friday at 7 p.m.

Over at Karen Shelton Stadium, the Tar Heels dropped their conference opener to Virginia in a highly competitive matchup. The teams combined for 30 total shots and 12 shots on target, but Cavalier goalie Nilou Lempers made five saves to help the visitors earn the 2-1 win.

Virginia scored less than a minute into the game before Charly Bruder evened the score at 1-1 later in the first quarter. The Cavaliers seized momentum entering the halftime locker room as Amelie Rees scored at the buzzer, giving Virginia a 2-1 edge. Neither team managed a single shot in the third quarter, but UNC turned up the heat in the fourth with 10 — after totaling only four in the first half. But Carolina couldn’t find a way through Lempers, and Virginia walked out of Chapel Hill with the victory.

UNC is now 3-4 overall on the season and 0-1 in ACC play. The Tar Heels now have multiple home losses for the first time since 2023. Up next, Carolina will head out west to the Bay Area to take on Stanford Friday at 9 p.m. Eastern time.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Nicholas I. York

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
‹
This Week in UNC Sports: October 12-18
More and more of UNC's winter sports are beginning their seasons as we hit the middle of October, and "crossover season" is upon us.
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 […]
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 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 Soccer and Lacrosse Venue Christened Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium
Dorrance Field, the home venue for the UNC soccer and lacrosse programs, has expanded its name to Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium. The expanded name comes in recognition of a gift from Kathleen Welsh and Gary Loveman, parents of two former UNC women’s soccer players. UNC describes Play2Dream as “a private family foundation” founded […]
Multiple UNC Teams Post Perfect Academic Progress Rates, New Report Says
Several UNC sports programs posted perfect single-year and multi-year academic progress rates for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the NCAA’s latest report. Academic progress rate (APR) is used to track performance of scholarship students who compete on varsity teams, and the score measures eligibility and retention each semester. A perfect score is 1000, and […]
UNC Sports: Men's Soccer Loses, Women's Soccer Wins, Volleyball Splits Weekend Homestand
It was a busy weekend of Olympic sports for UNC, with the men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball teams all in action. In men’s soccer, the Tar Heels fell at Syracuse Saturday afternoon after the Orange netted a goal in the 36th minute. Carolina pressed for an equalizer hard in the second half, totaling 13 […]
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: Men Win Opener vs. UCF, Women Lose at Georgia
The UNC men’s soccer team opened its 2025 campaign with a resounding 3-1 win against visiting UCF Thursday night at Dorrance Field. Off to a good start 📈#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/w6ygWPovus — UNC Men's Soccer (@UNCmenssoccer) August 22, 2025 Carolina ended up winning comfortably despite giving up the night’s opening goal. UCF’s Lilian Ricol struck […]
UNC Soccer: Women Stay Perfect With Win vs. Arizona, Men Draw vs. Cal Baptist
In a full day of soccer at Dorrance Field on Sunday, the UNC women’s soccer team moved to 4-0 on the season with a 2-0 win against Arizona. Later that night, the men dominated possession but settled for a 0-0 draw with California Baptist in the Tar Heels’ home opener. The women looked bound for […]
›