No. 9 North Carolina left Tempe with another road win and another shutout, edging Arizona State 1-0 on Sunday afternoon to close out its trip unbeaten away from home this season.
The difference came from Summer Denigan, who delivered the only goal of the match from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute. It was her second straight game scoring on a penalty kick and her third PK goal of the season, and it stretched her scoring streak to five matches.
The first half was tight and physical, with Carolina not generating its first shot until 18 minutes in when Lilliah Blum missed high. Nine minutes later, the Tar Heels earned their first corner kick but couldn’t turn it into a chance that mattered. Then came the moment that broke the deadlock: Scottie Antonucci drew a penalty inside the box, and Denigan sent the kick into the top right corner for a 1-0 lead.
UNC’s back line handled the rest of the opening half with control, limiting Arizona State to just one shot before the break. Peyton Trayer added a key stop early in the second half, making a save on the Sun Devils’ second shot just three minutes after the restart.
Carolina had a brief push offensively after that, stacking up three corner kicks in a five-minute span, but the Tar Heels couldn’t add an insurance goal. The defense took it from there and finished off the clean sheet.
The result moved Carolina to 5-1 overall and 3-0 on the road. The Tar Heels finished with a season-low four shots, two on target, while Arizona State managed three shots with one on goal. Carolina also earned six corner kicks to Arizona’s two, and nine Tar Heels played the full 90 minutes.
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North Carolinas Offseason Rebuild Is Testing Michael Malone Right Away
Michael Malone is wasting little time finding out how quickly an offseason can turn into a roster project. After significant departures through the transfer portal and the NBA draft, North Carolina has spent the spring trying to stabilize its lineup, and the early returns have included a No. 9 transfer portal class nationally. The Tar Heels also brought in Chuck Martin, whose reputation for recruiting at Kentucky and Arkansas gives the staff another proven hand as it tries to rebuild on the fly.
The bigger question now is whether that mix of urgency and experience can keep producing. North Carolina has already shown it can land talent in a crowded market, but the challenge is sustaining that momentum while replacing what left and reshaping the roster around a new look. If Malone and his staff can turn this first wave into something more durable, it could be the start of a stronger recruiting cycle. [Read more 🡒]
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Malone Sends A Clear Message About UNCs Biggest Roster Concern
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For a team trying to sort out its biggest question area before the season gets rolling, those evaluations mattered. Malones comments pointed to a frontcourt still very much in the process of being defined, with different body types, experience levels and skill sets in the mix, and the next step will be seeing which of those pieces can translate from praise in August to dependable minutes when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]