Worth Brings the Tar Heels to Victory over Buffs in Overtime

The North Carolina women’s soccer team took down Colorado 1-0 in overtime Friday night in front of a sold out stadium at Fetzer Field.

Colorado ends the season with a 14-7-1 record and UNC earns a spot in the Final 16 while improving to 14-3-2.

“Obviously we’re very excited to be advancing in the NCAA tournament,” UNC coach Anson Dorrance says. “Although the score doesn’t indicate it, I’m very proud of the way our kids played. We’re starting to move the ball quickly, we’re keeping the ball very well, we’re playing a great possession game and we’re changing the point effectively.”

Dorrance started the first 10-minute session of overtime with six reserves on the field. Carolina employed much of this strategy throughout the game with 21 Tar Heels seeing the field and all of them playing double-digit minutes.

“We have a deep roster and we have no issue playing our bench and of course they rewarded us. I think almost half the goals have been scored by reserves,” Dorrance says.

Sophomore Maya Worth scored her first career goal in the 94^th minute to bring the Tar Heels to victory.

The goal transpired after Katie Bowen served the ball into the box on a corner kick. Sophomore Danae O’Halloran sent a cross into the middle of the penalty area and Worth was there to head the ball, which was deflected by a Colorado player. Worth rebounded and powered the shot with her right foot into the back of the goal.

Courtesy of Jeffrey A. Camarati

“I was borderline in tears,” Worth says. “I don’t normally get nervous but I was really nervous before going into the overtime. And then after I scored I was trying to keep it together. I was trying to run to our bench to meet the rest of the team but as soon as I hit Bruder we just collapsed and everyone met us there and it was great. Wonderful feeling.”

Worth’s goal guaranteed the Tar Heels a spot in the Final 16 and marked the 120^th overall NCAA Tournament victory in Carolina history.

“We weren’t really expecting much this season we were kind of looking at ourselves as underdogs but week by week we’ve improved. This past week we’ve had a fantastic week of training and it just showed tonight,” Bowen says.

UNC will play South Carolina Sunday at 1 p.m. at Fezter Field for a spot in the NCAA quarterfinals next weekend.

FINAL BOX SCORE

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