Friday, November 17
Cary, N.C.
3:00 PM
Colorado
at
North Carolina
Photo by: Al Milligan
CU Confident Heading Into NCAA Match With No. 2 North Carolina
November 15, 2017 | Soccer
BOULDER – Colorado's women's soccer team will head to North Carolina on Friday to take on the No. 2-ranked Tar Heels in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It is a rematch of CU's second-round match in 2014 when UNC edged the Buffs 1-0 in overtime.
Four players remain on CU's roster from that 2014 match, including seniors Courtney Fedor and Joss Orejel, and redshirt juniors Nancy Best and Scout Watson.
At the time in 2014, North Carolina was ranked No. 6 in the nation and the Tar Heels certainly controlled the match, outshooting CU 22-2. But outstanding play by the Buffs defense and goalkeeper Kate Scheele forced the match to overtime. Scheele made six saves before Maya Worth put one past her in the 95th minute.
"I thought we competed really well in the game," head coach Danny Sanchez said. "In hindsight, we didn't do enough going forward to deserve a result. When they got one in overtime it wasn't a big surprise. We were under pressure the majority of the match. Having said that, I thought we defended really well. Kate Scheele was spectacular in goal to keep us in it. We didn't do enough to put them under enough pressure. They were able to send a lot of players forward so we'll have to do a better job on Friday."
The Buffs have a much more defined lineup this season heading into their second-round NCAA match. In 2014, injuries left players shifting positions prior to that match.
"This year, everyone knows where they stand and they know where everyone is playing," Orejel said. "I feel that we are very prepared for this. Our freshman year, we were all over the place, still moving people around."
"We had some injuries [in 2014], so up until that game we were moving people in and out of the back four," Sanchez said. "We got some players back right before the tournament, but we were sticking with the players we had. I think this year's group is really versatile. We have players that can play on different lines. But at the end of the day the core of the group is going to be the same as it's been for the last six games."
Taking on UNC is no easy task. North Carolina women's soccer is perhaps the most dominant program across all NCAA sports. The Tar Heels are making their 36th NCAA Tournament appearance in the 39th season of their program. In those 36 postseason appearances, they have won an astonishing 21 national championships and have a record of 126-12-3 in the postseason.
Head coach Anson Dorrance has been at the helm of UNC's women's soccer program since its inception in 1979. He has led the Tar Heels to an all-time record of 825-69-38. They have lost just 27 matches in school history at home.
Dorrance's teams have put out 57 U.S. Women's National Team players, including the U.S.'s all-time leader in caps Kristine Lilly (354 caps) and the all-time leader in USWNT goals in Mia Hamm (158 goals in international competition). Nine of his former players have made national team appearances in the past year, including 2016 U.S. Soccer Women's Player of the Year Tobin Heath. Colorado native and current USWNT star Lindsey Horan signed a National Letter of Intent with UNC, but never competed for the Tar Heels, choosing instead to pursue her professional career.
UNC's 2017 squad is no different than its past teams; it features seven All-ACC players. Freshman Alessia Russo is a member of England's youth national teams and missed three matches early in UNC's season to compete for her country. Three current Tar Heels competed in the 2016 U-20 World Cup for the United States, including Jessie Scarpa (who is currently injured), Taylor Otto and Emily Fox.
"They have their leading scorer Alessia Russo, who is a freshman out of England," Sanchez said. "She has really made an impact as a freshman. Their midfielder, Joanna Boyles is a very experienced player and runs the show in the midfield for them. She's been spectacular. They also have Taylor Otto in the back who has been rock solid. They have a lot of pieces but they're very good up the spine."
Russo, the ACC Co-Freshman of the Year, is perhaps the most dangerous player on the field for the Tar Heels. She leads the team with nine goals and has two assists for 20 points, despite missing three matches for international duty. Midfielders Dorian Bailey (six goals, eight assists) and Boyles (six goals, five assists), and defender Julia Ashley (two goals, five assists) were all second-team All-ACC selections. Midfielders Bridgette Andrzejewski (six goals, seven assists) and Fox (four assists), and Otto (four goals, two assists) were each third-team All-ACC honorees.
North Carolina averages 2.3 goals per game, while posting a 0.48 goals-against average. Samantha Leshnak has played all 1,858 minutes in goal this season and has an .811 save percentage and 12 clean sheets.
UNC has a 16-2-2 record this season and won the ACC Tournament in three one-goal matches, including a 2-1 win over No. 23 Florida State, a 1-0 win over No. 24 N.C. State, and a 1-0 win over then-No. 2 Duke in the championship. The Tar Heels ended the regular season with a pair of draws, but have not lost since Sept. 7, a 1-0 defeat at No. 5 Penn State in non-conference play.
Despite another strong season and the history behind UNC's program, the Buffs are entering Friday with confidence. CU is currently riding a six-match unbeaten streak and four-match winning streak, including a 2-1 victory over Denver in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. The Buffs had to rally from a 1-0 halftime deficit to win that match.
A strong Pac-12 slate also has helped prepare the Buffs for UNC. Seven Pac-12 teams were selected to the NCAA Tournament and six have advanced to the second round, including No. 1 Stanford, No. 4 UCLA and No. 9 USC.
"The Pac-12 is a really good conference," Fedor said. "You get that upper half of the conference and that's who we played first. So knowing that we can compete with them and knowing that North Carolina is on the same level as them, we know that they're beatable. I think playing those teams definitely gives us more confidence."
Being in the second round on the road at a No. 1 seed is also familiar territory for the Buffs as they played UNC in this same match just three years ago. In addition, the Buffs played at No. 3 South Carolina in the second round last season, a match that was decided by a late penalty kick to give the Gamecocks a 1-0 victory.
It will be no small task on Friday, but it will be an opportunity for the Buffs to make a name for themselves and create some history for CU. A win over the No. 2-ranked team in the country would be the highest-ranked opponent CU has ever defeated.
"Like I said to the team, we've been here a lot recently," Sanchez said. "When you get to the second round of the NCAA tournament there are no poor teams left. Anyone that's played past their abilities gets exposed, so everyone is playing a good team. We knew at this stage that we'd be playing a good team. But, I think that our confidence is high. I think the fact that we had to come back on Sunday and win against our local rival can only help that. We've also played a lot of really good teams similar to North Carolina this season. Although we know that they're very good and we have a lot of respect for them, the team also realizes that if they play really well, then we'll have a really good chance to get a result."
Four players remain on CU's roster from that 2014 match, including seniors Courtney Fedor and Joss Orejel, and redshirt juniors Nancy Best and Scout Watson.
At the time in 2014, North Carolina was ranked No. 6 in the nation and the Tar Heels certainly controlled the match, outshooting CU 22-2. But outstanding play by the Buffs defense and goalkeeper Kate Scheele forced the match to overtime. Scheele made six saves before Maya Worth put one past her in the 95th minute.
"I thought we competed really well in the game," head coach Danny Sanchez said. "In hindsight, we didn't do enough going forward to deserve a result. When they got one in overtime it wasn't a big surprise. We were under pressure the majority of the match. Having said that, I thought we defended really well. Kate Scheele was spectacular in goal to keep us in it. We didn't do enough to put them under enough pressure. They were able to send a lot of players forward so we'll have to do a better job on Friday."
The Buffs have a much more defined lineup this season heading into their second-round NCAA match. In 2014, injuries left players shifting positions prior to that match.
"This year, everyone knows where they stand and they know where everyone is playing," Orejel said. "I feel that we are very prepared for this. Our freshman year, we were all over the place, still moving people around."
"We had some injuries [in 2014], so up until that game we were moving people in and out of the back four," Sanchez said. "We got some players back right before the tournament, but we were sticking with the players we had. I think this year's group is really versatile. We have players that can play on different lines. But at the end of the day the core of the group is going to be the same as it's been for the last six games."
Taking on UNC is no easy task. North Carolina women's soccer is perhaps the most dominant program across all NCAA sports. The Tar Heels are making their 36th NCAA Tournament appearance in the 39th season of their program. In those 36 postseason appearances, they have won an astonishing 21 national championships and have a record of 126-12-3 in the postseason.
Head coach Anson Dorrance has been at the helm of UNC's women's soccer program since its inception in 1979. He has led the Tar Heels to an all-time record of 825-69-38. They have lost just 27 matches in school history at home.
Dorrance's teams have put out 57 U.S. Women's National Team players, including the U.S.'s all-time leader in caps Kristine Lilly (354 caps) and the all-time leader in USWNT goals in Mia Hamm (158 goals in international competition). Nine of his former players have made national team appearances in the past year, including 2016 U.S. Soccer Women's Player of the Year Tobin Heath. Colorado native and current USWNT star Lindsey Horan signed a National Letter of Intent with UNC, but never competed for the Tar Heels, choosing instead to pursue her professional career.
UNC's 2017 squad is no different than its past teams; it features seven All-ACC players. Freshman Alessia Russo is a member of England's youth national teams and missed three matches early in UNC's season to compete for her country. Three current Tar Heels competed in the 2016 U-20 World Cup for the United States, including Jessie Scarpa (who is currently injured), Taylor Otto and Emily Fox.
"They have their leading scorer Alessia Russo, who is a freshman out of England," Sanchez said. "She has really made an impact as a freshman. Their midfielder, Joanna Boyles is a very experienced player and runs the show in the midfield for them. She's been spectacular. They also have Taylor Otto in the back who has been rock solid. They have a lot of pieces but they're very good up the spine."
Russo, the ACC Co-Freshman of the Year, is perhaps the most dangerous player on the field for the Tar Heels. She leads the team with nine goals and has two assists for 20 points, despite missing three matches for international duty. Midfielders Dorian Bailey (six goals, eight assists) and Boyles (six goals, five assists), and defender Julia Ashley (two goals, five assists) were all second-team All-ACC selections. Midfielders Bridgette Andrzejewski (six goals, seven assists) and Fox (four assists), and Otto (four goals, two assists) were each third-team All-ACC honorees.
North Carolina averages 2.3 goals per game, while posting a 0.48 goals-against average. Samantha Leshnak has played all 1,858 minutes in goal this season and has an .811 save percentage and 12 clean sheets.
UNC has a 16-2-2 record this season and won the ACC Tournament in three one-goal matches, including a 2-1 win over No. 23 Florida State, a 1-0 win over No. 24 N.C. State, and a 1-0 win over then-No. 2 Duke in the championship. The Tar Heels ended the regular season with a pair of draws, but have not lost since Sept. 7, a 1-0 defeat at No. 5 Penn State in non-conference play.
Despite another strong season and the history behind UNC's program, the Buffs are entering Friday with confidence. CU is currently riding a six-match unbeaten streak and four-match winning streak, including a 2-1 victory over Denver in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. The Buffs had to rally from a 1-0 halftime deficit to win that match.
A strong Pac-12 slate also has helped prepare the Buffs for UNC. Seven Pac-12 teams were selected to the NCAA Tournament and six have advanced to the second round, including No. 1 Stanford, No. 4 UCLA and No. 9 USC.
"The Pac-12 is a really good conference," Fedor said. "You get that upper half of the conference and that's who we played first. So knowing that we can compete with them and knowing that North Carolina is on the same level as them, we know that they're beatable. I think playing those teams definitely gives us more confidence."
Being in the second round on the road at a No. 1 seed is also familiar territory for the Buffs as they played UNC in this same match just three years ago. In addition, the Buffs played at No. 3 South Carolina in the second round last season, a match that was decided by a late penalty kick to give the Gamecocks a 1-0 victory.
It will be no small task on Friday, but it will be an opportunity for the Buffs to make a name for themselves and create some history for CU. A win over the No. 2-ranked team in the country would be the highest-ranked opponent CU has ever defeated.
"Like I said to the team, we've been here a lot recently," Sanchez said. "When you get to the second round of the NCAA tournament there are no poor teams left. Anyone that's played past their abilities gets exposed, so everyone is playing a good team. We knew at this stage that we'd be playing a good team. But, I think that our confidence is high. I think the fact that we had to come back on Sunday and win against our local rival can only help that. We've also played a lot of really good teams similar to North Carolina this season. Although we know that they're very good and we have a lot of respect for them, the team also realizes that if they play really well, then we'll have a really good chance to get a result."
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