No. 7 North Carolina turned a 2-1 second-half hole into a statement win Thursday night, knocking off No. 2 Duke 4-2 in the 58th edition of the Tobacco Road rivalry at Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium.
The Tar Heels improved to 8-1 overall and 5-1 at home, while also picking up their first ranked win of the fall. It was also Carolina’s first victory over Duke in Chapel Hill since 2020.
North Carolina came out aggressive from the opening whistle. Amari Manning won the ball in midfield and fired wide left in the 8th minute, setting the tone for an attack that kept Duke under pressure early.
Bella Devey and Deus Stanislaus helped spark chances for each other in the 20th and 23rd minutes, and Riley Kennedy later forced another opening after winning the ball high up the field. Devey’s shot was blocked by the Duke goalkeeper, and Stanislaus sent the rebound wide left.
Wylie Roossien, making her first start, also helped stretch the field in the 29th minute by driving down the right touchline and sending a cross into the box. Carolina couldn’t finish the play, but the chance showed how often the Tar Heels were getting forward.
That pressure finally paid off in the 31st minute. Senior Lilliah Blum slipped the ball past the Duke goalkeeper for her third goal of the season and Carolina’s 14th unassisted goal of the year.
Blum kept the pressure on a minute later, drawing a foul just outside Duke’s 18-yard box and earning the Blue Devils a yellow card. Manning took the free kick and found Bella Gaetino, but Duke’s goalkeeper got to the ball first.
Carolina had more looks before halftime, including a Peyton Trayer save on Duke’s first shot in the 36th minute and an Ashley Pennie attempt in the 40th that was turned away. But Duke found an equalizer in the 42nd minute after a scramble in the box, with the goal confirmed following a handball review. Manning had one more look before the break in the 45th minute, but her shot went wide left, sending the teams into halftime tied 1-1.
Duke grabbed the lead just four minutes into the second half when Cali O'Neill was called for a handball in the Carolina box and the Blue Devils converted the penalty, even with Trayer diving the correct way.
North Carolina didn’t blink. Manning set up Devey in the 57th minute, though the play ended with Devey colliding with the Duke goalkeeper and unable to finish.
Roossien kept driving the attack and found Devey again in the 60th minute, but the shot missed wide. Roossien played a career-high 81 minutes in place of Summer Denigan, who was out with an injury.
The Tar Heels kept pushing, and the equalizer came in the 71st minute. Shaela Bradley delivered the assist and Blum finished to tie it 2-2. It was Blum’s first career brace and fourth goal of the season, and Bradley’s first assist as a Tar Heel.
Carolina seized control three minutes later. On a corner in the 74th minute, Izzi Stratton headed the ball off the woodwork, then stayed with the play and poked in the rebound for her second goal of the season. Trayer also came up with her second save of the night in that same minute, stretching to stop a Duke shot.
The final blow came from Bradley in the 74th minute as well, when she ripped a rocket from just inside Duke’s 18-yard box for her first goal of the season and second as a Tar Heel. Blum earned the assist, her second of the year, to close out the 4-2 win.
Devey was shown a yellow card in the 67th minute after colliding with the Duke goalkeeper in the box. Duke challenged the call and argued for a red card, but the ruling on the field stood after a lengthy review.
North Carolina returns to action Sunday afternoon against Alcorn State at Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET, and the match will air on ACC Network Extra.
In Other News...
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The pressure, though, has hardly gone away. Steve Belichick has resigned from his role, Michael Lombardi has stepped down as general manager, and freshman wide receiver Keeyun Chapman was suspended indefinitely after an arrest on a misdemeanor gun charge. Bill Belichick was not found to have committed any wrongdoing in the investigation, but with so many personnel changes and off-field questions piling up, the program still has more to sort through. [Read more 🡒]
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Clemson has had its own issues, but the Tigers still bring enough talent and volatility to make this a tricky road assignment, especially with true freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds in the mix. His presence adds another layer to a game already loaded with questions for North Carolina, because young quarterbacks can make a defenses night either easier or a lot more complicated in a hurry. If the Tar Heels are going to keep building on what they have shown so far, this is the kind of test that will say plenty about how real that progress is. [Read more 🡒]