With two minutes left in the first half, North Carolina crossed the ball in front of the box, bypassing Boston College women’s soccer’s defense before lodging it in the back of the net. This goal broke the dam, and the Tar Heels scored two more goals within the first four minutes of the second half.
BC (4–4–3, 0–3–0 Atlantic Coast) failed to answer any of the Tar Heels’ goals on Sunday and fell to No. 3 North Carolina 3–0. The Eagles’ defense collapsed late in the first half and continued to spiral early in the second, costing BC the game.
The Eagles have gone scoreless in three straight games, a deadly stretch that has resulted in three straight losses. In those games, opponents outscored BC 12–0.
The first half of Sunday’s matchup was a defensive battle, with BC fighting hard to keep up with the Tar Heels. Though neither team scored in over 43 minutes, North Carolina continuously pressured the Eagles, and the Tar Heels outshot BC in the first half 9–2.
The Eagles fought to push the ball up the field and played a calm and collected game, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. They moved as a unit and prevented scoring opportunities from the Tar Heels.
The tides changed, though, when North Carolina logged its first goal to close out the half. The Tar Heels finally put the pieces together and broke down BC’s defense.
A penalty kick early in the second half granted North Carolina its second goal. After the Tar Heels’ second score, the Eagles seemed to lose their confidence, and they played frantically in an effort to catch up.
North Carolina kept the pressure on, outshooting BC 17–4, and had seven shots on goal to the Eagles’ three.
The Tar Heels continued to connect in the box, and just two minutes after their second goal, they scored again pushing their lead to 3–0. After its third goal, North Carolina switched to a calmer style of offensive play.
Down by three, BC returned to the aggressive play it demonstrated early in the first half. But with North Carolina no longer in need of a goal, the Tar Heels focused on preventing BC from getting past their defense.
Four different Eagles had shots on goal—Sam Smith, Ella Richards, Sophia Lowenberg, and Éabha O’Mahony—but the Tar Heels’ defense proved too strong.
