North Carolina didn’t just beat Saint Joseph’s on Friday afternoon. It smothered the Hawks from start to finish and walked out of Ellen Ryan Field with an 8-0 road win in Philadelphia.
The Tar Heels, now 7-4 overall and 3-1 in the ACC, were already in control at halftime with a 2-0 lead. Then they detonated in the third quarter, piling up six goals in that frame alone.
That’s the most UNC has ever scored in a single quarter since the move away from halves in 2019. The last time Carolina reached six or more in one period was back in 2018, when it scored seven first-half goals against Ball State.
Afterward, head coach Erin Matson called it "defensive domination," and the numbers back her up. Saint Joseph’s managed just one shot all day, and that came on a penalty corner late in the fourth quarter. The attempt was blocked right off the stick.
The shutout was part of a bigger trend for UNC, which has been locked in defensively over its last stretch. Across the last four games, the Tar Heels have allowed only one goal while giving up just nine shots total, with three of them on target.
There was also a clear Pennsylvania flavor to this one. North Carolina went into the trip with that connection in mind, and the state’s imprint on the program has been strong for years. Since 2015, 55% of the team’s goals have come from players from Pennsylvania, a group that includes Erin Matson, Ryleigh Heck, Charly Bruder, Peyton Wirth, Meredith Sholder and others.
That home-state influence showed up again on Friday. Pennsylvania natives accounted for five of UNC’s goals, with Ryleigh Heck getting things started in the second quarter.
She drew a penalty stroke and finished it herself, slipping the ball into the side netting. Later in the quarter, junior Coco Courtright buried a penalty corner chance to push the Tar Heels ahead 2-0 at the break.
The third quarter belonged to Charly Bruder. Playing about 30 minutes from home in front of a big group of friends and family, the Malvern native put on a show with a hat trick. She now has 11 goals on the season, along with five career three-goal games and 17 multi-goal performances.
UNC kept rolling with another Pennsylvania connection on the board when freshman Sofia Ferri finished a deflection off a Hope Haynes penalty corner. Haynes then scored one of her own later in the quarter on a corner.
One of the most meaningful moments came from Cecily Moorhead, who scored her first career collegiate goal with a diving finish as part of the six-goal surge. The freshman forward from Wimbledon, U.K., has earned more minutes as the season has gone on, and this time she cashed in with her first goal.
In the cage, Merritt Skubisz and Tessa Shahbo split the work, though there wasn’t much work to split. Neither goalkeeper was forced to make a save in the shutout.
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UNC's Secondary Suddenly Faces A Big Loss After Pitt Win
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Kaleb Cost also was injured in the same contest, and his return timeline remains unclear, leaving UNC with questions at a position group that can ill afford more uncertainty. Miller is reportedly doubtful to come back this season, which gives the injury even more weight as the Tar Heels shift from celebrating a victory to figuring out how much depth they have left in the back end. [Read more 🡒]