No. 5 North Carolina had to dig out of an early hole, but Ella Barbacci kept the Tar Heels on track and helped deliver a 2-1 road win over Richmond on Sunday afternoon at Crenshaw Field.
Richmond struck first off the game’s opening penalty corner, putting UNC behind before the Tar Heels settled in. From there, though, North Carolina controlled the flow of play and spent most of the afternoon pressing the Spiders.
The numbers backed it up: Carolina finished with a 14-6 edge in shots and a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal. Under head coach Erin Matson, the Heels are now 9-2 overall when they allow the first goal.
Barbacci’s equalizer came in the second quarter after a pair of freshmen helped create the opening. Cecily Moorhead, the rookie from England, drove deep into Richmond territory and sent in an initial cross that was intercepted. Molly Nussbaumer, the Chapel Hill native, then forced a turnover before the Spiders could clear, and the loose ball landed right in front of Barbacci, who buried it to tie the game.
That goal was Barbacci’s third of the weekend. The senior forward has taken on a starting role this season, and her production has surged after she scored just one goal across her first three years in Carolina Blue.
She wasn’t finished. Early in the third quarter, Charly Bruder’s high press triggered another Richmond turnover, and the sequence ended with the ball on Barbacci’s stick. She quickly returned it to Bruder, who finished with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Bruder’s goal pushed her to a team-high five on the season. It also moved her past former teammate Ryleigh Heck for seventh place on North Carolina’s all-time goals list with 65 career goals. She is now three shy of tying Kelsey Kolojejchick and Louise Hines for fifth.
The Tar Heels now turn their attention to conference play, with Virginia set to visit Karen Shelton Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 20. The matchup will air on the ACC Network.
In Other News...
UNCs ACC Opener Just Took A Sudden Turn At Quarterback
Clemsons quarterback picture changed quickly this week after Christopher Vizzina suffered an elbow injury against Georgia Southern and was labeled week-to-week. For North Carolina, that means the ACC opener has picked up an extra layer of uncertainty before the Tar Heels even take the field, with freshman Tait Reynolds now expected to make his first career start.
Dabo Swinney said Reynolds showed promise in relief, but he also made it clear Clemson plans to lean on both quarterbacks moving forward. For UNC, the adjustment is less about the name on the depth chart than the timing of the change, because preparing for a first-time starter in a conference game can alter everything from pressure plans to coverage looks. [Read more 🡒]
UNC May Have A New Passing Weapon Before Clemson
UNC has spent the first two weeks grinding through ugly weather and finding out a lot about itself in the process. The Tar Heels have won both games in rain-soaked conditions, given up only 13 points across eight quarters and shown a defense that has looked sharper on third downs, while the offense has had to make the most of limited possessions and has still managed to stay efficient.
One of the quieter developments has been the emergence of freshman CJ Sadler in the passing game. He has already started to carve out a real role, sharing targets with the rest of the receiver group and giving the Tar Heels another option to feature as the schedule stiffens. With Clemson next, UNC may be looking at a new kind of threat to keep defenses honest, even if the full extent of that role is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Just Got An Opening It Cannot Waste Against Clemson
Clemsons offense is headed into its next meeting with North Carolina with a different face under center, after starting quarterback Christopher Vizzina suffered an elbow injury and is expected to miss the game. Freshman Tait Reynolds is projected to make the start in his place, giving the Tar Heels a chance to line up against a much less familiar look than the one Clemson had planned to feature.
For UNC, the timing matters because Clemson has already spent much of the early season looking out of sync, and a quarterback switch only adds to the uncertainty. The Tar Heels do not need to solve every issue for the Tigers to gain an edge here, but they do need to treat this as an opportunity to pressure a young passer and make Clemson play from behind the curve. [Read more 🡒]