A first-half goal from striker Ally Sentnor was all the UNC women’s soccer team needed on Friday afternoon in Lubbock, defeating No. 6 seed Alabama in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The goal not only gave Carolina the win, but also tied Sentnor with Avery Patterson atop the team leaderboard. Friday was also the fourth straight match in which Sentnor has scored. Her 19th-minute goal came amid a dominant first half for the Tar Heels, one in which they held the Crimson Tide without a shot on target for the entirety of the 45 minutes.

That theme would continue throughout the second half, as Alabama once again was not able to test UNC goalkeeper Emmie Allen. Allen ended the afternoon without a save for the first time since August, but still kept her first clean sheet of the postseason. On the other side, Alabama keeper Coralie Lallier made eight saves to keep the Tar Heels from running away with the match. Overall, UNC outshot the Crimson Tide 15-4.

The win improves Carolina to 28-1 all-time in NCAA second-round matches and moves the team into its second consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. The Tar Heels will stay in Lubbock for the weekend and face the winner of No. 2 seed Texas Tech (the host of the four-team pod) and No. 7 seed Princeton on Sunday for a spot in the national quarterfinals. Kickoff for that match is scheduled for 2 p.m.

 

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.