A lengthy weather delay did not throw off No. 5 UNC women’s soccer on Sunday, as the Heels scored in each half to pick up their sixth win of 2024.

Carolina earned the 2-0 win over Seton Hall after a thunderstorm rolled through Chapel Hill and led to fans being evacuated from the stadium around Dorrance Field. It took nearly 90 minutes for play to resume coming out of halftime — an opening frame in which the Tar Heels outshot the Pirates 13-1.

Junior defender Tessa Dellarose punctuated a stretch of strong play for Carolina with a goal in the 23rd minute, using her thigh to redirect a corner kick toward goal and collecting the deflection from the goalkeeper to poke it across the line. The co-captain now has three goals on the season.

Her fellow co-captain, Bella Sember, notched the other goal of the match in the 58th minute as another reward for UNC’s offensive pressure onto Seton Hall. Off a pass from Linda Ullmark, the senior attacker dragged the ball behind her with her right foot before firing a left-footed shot toward the right post and past the Pirates’ keeper. Sember also now has three goals on the year, after having scored against North Dakota during the Tar Heels’ game on Thursday.

While Carolina’s offensive stats against Seton Hall were lopsided, it is in part because of their stout defense — which has now marked three consecutive shutout wins. UNC goalkeeper Clare Gagne helped preserve the lead with two critical saves in the final stretches of Sunday’s match to earn her fourth clean sheet this year.

The undefeated Tar Heels will now prepare for their first ACC matchup of the year, as they travel to Durham for a matchup with Duke on Thursday night. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network and kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

 

Featured image via Carolina Athletics.


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