No. 1 Carolina women’s soccer heads into Sunday’s trip to Winston-Salem carrying plenty of momentum and a familiar target on its back.
The Tar Heels will face No. 4 Wake Forest at 3:30 p.m. in a top-10 ACC clash that will stream on ACC Network.
UNC arrives at 5-0 in league play with 15 points, sitting atop the ACC standings while also owning a nine-game winning streak. Five of those victories have come by shutout, a stretch powered by a defense that has tightened up behind the play of the back line and the scoring punch of Bella Devey.
Devey has been the centerpiece of Carolina’s attack, leading the team with 14 goals. She ranks second in the ACC and third in the NCAA in scoring. As a team, the Tar Heels have put 44 goals on the board this season and are averaging 3.38 goals per game, while limiting opponents to 8 goals overall.
The matchup will be Carolina’s fourth ranked conference game of the season, and it comes after the Tar Heels edged Clemson, 1-0, for their fifth ACC win. That result kept UNC in first place in the league and extended a run that has seen the Tar Heels outscore conference opponents 15-4.
History tilts heavily toward Carolina in this series. The Tar Heels lead Wake Forest 36-2-3 overall and are 11-1-1 on the road against the Demon Deacons. The last time UNC played in Winston-Salem, in 2023, the teams finished in a 1-1 draw.
The individual honors keep piling up around this group, too. Carolina was ranked No. 1 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll, marking the program’s 38th season earning a No. 1 ranking. Summer Denigan and Bella Devey were both named to the MAC Hermann Mid-Season Watch List.
Devey has already picked up ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors three times this season and was named to the Preseason All-ACC Team. Lilliah Blum has also made her mark, scoring her first career brace against Duke and now sitting at five goals on the year.
She was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week and TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week on Sept. 22.
Blum and Amari Manning lead the Tar Heels with five assists apiece. Cali O'Neill earned her first career weekly award on Oct. 6 when she was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week.
In goal, Peyton Trayer has posted nine wins, 13 saves and seven shutouts.
Carolina also entered the season with plenty of external recognition. Five Tar Heels appeared in the Preseason TopDrawerSoccer Top 100 Rankings: Summer Denigan at No.
4, Izzi Stratton at No. 24, Bella Gaetino at No.
35, Bella Devey at No. 68 and Hope Munson at No. 77.
Three were selected to TopDrawerSoccer’s Best XI teams, with Denigan on the First Team, Stratton on the Third Team and O'Neill on the Freshman Team.
Denigan and Stratton were also placed on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, while Carolina was picked fifth in the ACC Preseason Poll.
The Tar Heels’ presence has reached the international stage as well. Aven Alvarez, Hope Munson and Sealey Strawn were named to the U-20 WNT roster for the 2026 U-20 FIFA Women's World Cup, and the trio helped the national team reach the round of 16.
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Duke Just Gave UNC A Huge Rivalry Week Problem
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If Sheppard cannot go, Duke would likely turn to CJ Campbell Jr., a less proven option with far less production and experience. For UNC, the difference between facing Duke with its lead back available or with a backup thrust into a bigger role could shape how the Tar Heels prepare for one of the seasons most closely watched games. [Read more 🡒]
Tar Heels Just Sent A Message Before Duke Showdown
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The victory stretched UNCs winning streak to five games and snapped Pittsburghs six-match unbeaten run, a nice reminder that the Tar Heels are carrying real momentum into the biggest matchups ahead. With Duke next on the horizon, the timing of this performance matters almost as much as the result itself, since wins like this tend to travel well when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Gets Another Shot To End Duke Rivalry Frustration
North Carolina gets another crack at a rivalry that has been stubbornly frustrating lately when the Tar Heels meet Duke on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in an ACC football matchup. The game will be carried on ESPN2 and SiriusXM radio, and it comes with some momentum after UNC recently upset a ranked opponent.
The bigger backdrop is simple: the Victory Bell has been out of reach in recent meetings, with Duke finding ways to win close games and leave Carolina looking for answers. Saturday offers the Tar Heels a chance to flip that script, and the broader schedule picture is already taking shape with UNCs 2026 football slate also in view. [Read more 🡒]