It was a day of mixed emotions for the top women’s soccer team in the land.

No. 1 Carolina passed its first true road test of the season, winning 2-0 at Texas Thursday night. But head coach Anson Dorrance was likely muted in his celebration, as he was still dealing with some sobering injury news. Senior defender Maycee Bell, who missed UNC’s previous game against UNC-Wilmington, confirmed on Instagram she would miss the remainder of the season. In the same post, Bell said she would redshirt this year and return in 2023.

Bell had previously been recognized by United Soccer Coaches as one of the best defenders in the country. Bell was named a second team All-American in 2021 and was poised for a stellar 2022 campaign, being named to the watch list for the Hermann Trophy for National Player of the Year.

Bell did not travel with the Tar Heels on their road trip to Texas. But even without their stalwart defender, Carolina still flexed its muscles against the Longhorns. UNC outshot Texas 23-8 on the night, including an 8-2 advantage in shots on goal. The Tar Heels held an identical 8-2 advantage in corner kicks.

Though the team failed to find the back of the net in the first half, striker Avery Patterson provided the breakthrough in the second. Patterson scored in both the 58th and 79th minutes, continuing a torrid start to the 2022 season. The junior from Jacksonville, FL, now has five goals in the team’s first five matches (this includes two goals in two preseason matches). Patterson only scored five goals during the entire 2021 regular season.

Dorrance continued his trend of substituting liberally, using 24 total players during the match. Notably, Dorrance also played one goalie per half once again, starting Emmie Allen and then pulling her for Marz Josephson at halftime. During the week, Dorrance complimented his team’s depth on the Carolina Insider Podcast.

“This is the deepest team we’ve ever had,” Dorrance told Jones Angell and Adam Lucas. “We’re gonna be good for a very long time.”

Certainly lofty words to live up to from a 22-time national champion. The 3-0 Tar Heels will look to make him a prophet as they continue their road trip in Texas. Carolina will stay in Austin during the weekend and will take on Baylor in a neutral-site match on Sunday at 1 p.m. That match will be available to watch on the Longhorn Network. The team will then play at Missouri the following Thursday before returning home for a match with No. 6 UCLA the following Sunday.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati

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