CHAPEL HILL — Duke executed its game plan almost perfectly, but it still could not defeat perennial power No. 1 North Carolina. The Tar Heels’ Jaime Gilbert scored on what both coaches called a “world-class” shot to down the No. 15 Blue Devils 2-1 Thursday night in Chapel Hill.
“It was a big-time goal and that’s what it took to beat us because we were playing very well in the back four, and we were playing very well with our goalkeeper,” Duke head coach Robbie Church said. “That’s what makes a team so great—they come up with those types of plays in those types of situations.”
North Carolina (16-0-1, 9-0 in the ACC) generated a series of legitimate scoring opportunities after Duke (12-6, 5-4) evened the game in the early moments of the second half. The Duke defense was able to thwart most of UNC’s chances, keeping the Blue Devils in the game.
Then, in the 63rd minute, Gilbert corralled the ball 25 yards from the net, turned and fired an arcing shot towards the top right corner of the goal. Blue Devil keeper Allison Lipsher dove after it, but the ball glanced off her finger tips and into the net, sending most of the 3,300 fans at Fetzer Field into uproarious cheers.
“The angle was straight from [Gilbert’s] foot to the back of the net,” North Carolina head coach Anson Dorrance said. “That thing was hit on a rope and its one of the hardest shots I’ve seen this season, probably one of the best finishes.”
The Blue Devil defense played one of its best games of the season. Lipsher recorded just three saves but came out of the net to break up several other scoring opportunities. The rest of the defense aided Lipsher by clearing balls, often setting up counterattacks.
“Everything we wanted to do and how we wanted to play and defend, I thought we did really well,” Church said.
As the end of the game approached, Duke was forced to use an additional player on attack, but the short-handed defense was resilient. Junior co-captain Carolyn Ford kept the Blue Devils’ chances alive with more than six minutes to play. Lipsher gambled and misplayed a ball 20 yards from the goal, leaving UNC forward Anne Morrell with an open look at the net. Ford, however, stepped to the left post and headed away Morrell’s shot to keep the score 2-1.
“A lot of the shots late in the game came because we were pressed and players had to go forward, leaving a lot of space,” Church said of UNC’s scoring opportunities. “So they dominated the end of the game because we had to press and bring our players up. We did a great job in the back.”
UNC got on the board first, when Morrell kicked a one-timer into the bottom right part of the net in the game’s third minute. Both teams went scoreless for the rest of the period as the Blue Devils struggled to stay onside against the Tar Heels’ three defenders.
“They were really good about trying to catch us offside, which really kept us from countering so much,” junior Carolyn Riggs said.
Five minutes into the second half, Duke connected on its best scoring opportunity of the game. Ford spotted Riggs inside the box, who fired a low shot that beat Tar Heel goalkeeper Aly Winget.
“Carolyn did a good job of holding off her defender, and then spinning herself around and did a really nice job of finishing,” Church said. “It was our first opportunity and we ended up finishing a quality opportunity with it too.”
North Carolina controlled the tempo of the rest of the game, but Duke’s defense continued to keep the Blue Devils within reach. The game was the fifth one-goal defeat Duke has suffered in six losses this season. The inability to pull out close games is a concern Church said needs to be addressed now that the team is entering the ACC Championships and NCAA Tournament.
“We’ve got to be able to eliminate the goal we gave up early and create some more chances,” Church said.
The loss will likely drop the Blue Devils to the fifth-seed in the conference tournament. Their first round game will be Wednesday in Cary, N.C.
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