No. 7 North Carolina wasted no time taking control of its ACC opener Thursday night in Chapel Hill, rolling past Cal 3-0 behind an efficient attack and a defense that never let the Bears settle in.
The Tar Heels set the tone early by pressing Cal’s back line and earning four corner kicks in the first 10 minutes. That pressure paid off in the 10th minute when Bella Devey finished off a corner with assists from Izzi Stratton and Summer Denigan to put Carolina in front 1-0.
North Carolina kept pushing. In the 31st minute, Denigan lined up a free kick from outside the 18-yard box and ripped it off the crossbar. A minute later, Cal compounded its troubles with an own goal, and the Tar Heels suddenly had a 2-0 cushion.
Carolina nearly added another before halftime when Amari Manning sent a shot wide in the 40th minute. The Tar Heels went into the break with five shot attempts and a two-goal lead.
The third goal came in the 65th minute, when Manning delivered a corner kick assist to Stratton. It was Manning’s first assist as a Tar Heel, and Stratton’s first collegiate goal.
Cal managed just two shots all night, and neither was on target, allowing freshman goalkeeper Peyton Trayer to earn her fifth clean sheet of the season. Carolina’s defense has now limited opponents to 27 shots through seven games, a number that speaks loudly about how hard this group is to break down.
Lilliah Blum had the only save Cal recorded, stopping a shot to the top left corner in the 53rd minute. Carolina finished with 10 shots, evenly split with five in each half, and five Tar Heels logged the full 90 minutes.
The win pushed Carolina to 6-1 overall and 3-1 at home. It also improved the Tar Heels to 12-0-1 against Cal, including 5-0 at Dorrance Field. Carolina added its seventh shutout of the season and has now outscored the Bears 36-8.
Devey’s goal was her seventh of the season, while Stratton added a goal and an assist. The Tar Heels also attempted 10 corner kicks, matching their high-water mark from a 2-1 win over Virginia Tech on Sept. 11 last season.
In Other News...
UNC Opens Home Slate With A Worry Fans Will Be Watching
UNCs first home game of the season is already carrying a bit of extra attention, and not just because its the home opener. Melkart Abou Jaoude is not expected to play against ETSU after suffering a hand injury in the Week 0 loss to TCU, a setback that showed up quickly enough for him to be seen wearing a cast afterward. Its the kind of early-season issue that can change how a defense is deployed before the rhythm of the year has even settled in.
The good news for the Tar Heels is that the absence appears short-term, with Abou Jaoude expected to be ready for next weeks ACC opener against Clemson. In the meantime, UNC will turn to other defensive players to cover his spot in the opener, a useful chance to see who can handle a larger role if the rotation has to be adjusted again later. [Read more 🡒]
Tar Heels Face A Huge Recruiting Test In Crowded 2027 Battle
DeMarcus Henry Jr. has already become one of the more closely watched names in the Class of 2027, and North Carolina is in the middle of a crowded race for the highly ranked prospect. The wings strong showings in various events have only sharpened the attention around him, and his recruiting board already includes a deep list of heavyweights such as Arkansas, BYU, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State and UConn.
His recent visit to UConn is another reminder that this battle is going to be fought everywhere, and the Tar Heels will have to stay aggressive if they want to keep themselves in the mix. North Carolina is also working on the next wave of talent, with Class of 2028 guard Michai White picking up an offer from Syracuse after the Orange visited his school, a small sign of how quickly the recruiting board is expanding around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Tar Heels Face A Real Focus Test In Home Opener
North Carolinas first home game arrives with more attention on the programs off-field turbulence than on the matchup itself, even as the Tar Heels try to settle into a normal game-week rhythm against ETSU. The football side still has to move forward, and that means using the opener to clean up a run game that needs to show more consistency while the staff keeps the focus on Saturday.
Bill Belichick is handling defensive play-calling with Steve Belichick on medical leave, a wrinkle that only adds to the uncertainty around a program already dealing with an investigation and the resignation of general manager Michael Lombardi. For a team trying to establish some early-season calm, the home opener is as much a test of concentration as execution, and North Carolina will have to show it can block out the noise long enough to play its game. [Read more 🡒]