CARY, N.C. (theACC.com) – Friday night’s ACC Women’s Soccer Championship semifinal was shaping up as a game of missed opportunities for top-seeded North Carolina, but freshman Rachael Dorwart changed the script.
Dorwart broke a scoreless tie with her second goal of the season midway through the second half, and the Tar Heels made it stand up for a 1-0 win over fifth-seeded Clemson before 2,092 fans who braved an occasional drizzle at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park.
UNC (17-2-1) moved on to Sunday’s championship game and will meet the winner of Friday evening’s second semifinal game between third-seeded Virginia and seventh-seeded Florida State. The Tar Heels are seeking their 23rd ACC women’s soccer championship and attempting to win in back-to-back years for the first time since claiming five consecutive titles from 2004 through 2009.
Friday night marked UNC’s second time this season edging the Tigers by a razor-thin margin. The Tar Heels also won by a 1-0 score in the teams’ regular-season meeting at Clemson on Sept. 23.
“I’m ecstatic to beat a very good Clemson team,” Tar Heel head coach Anson Dorrance said. “They are very hard to score against, as we found out for the second time this year, so we are very excited to be advancing and playing for another ACC championship.”
Dorwart delivered for the Tar Heels at the 25:13 mark of the second half, taking a cross from Rachel Jones and out-scrapping a Clemson defender to find the back of the net from close range.
“(Jones) got the ball out wide, and I knew from what she produces when she gets the ball wide that she was going to beat her girl and cross it in,” Dorwart said. “I did my best to get in front of my defender – which I did – and I just placed it.”
The goal was Dorwart’s first since a season-opening win over Illinois on Aug. 16 for Dorwart, who had checked into the game just four minutes earlier.
“I thought Rachael Dorwart’s goal was just an incredible effort in the box,” Dorrance said.
The Tigers’ ensuing possession resulted in two good looks at a potential tying goal, but Kimber Haley’s attempt from about 15 yards hit the crossbar, and Danti Antieau’s follow attempt was blocked.
The first half ended in a scoreless deadlock, despite the Tar Heels’ 8-1 advantage in shots attempted and 7-0 edge in corners kicks. Clemson keeper Sandy MacIver thwarted UNC’s one official shot on goal by Bridgette Andrzejewski with just under 24 minutes left in the period. One of Andrzejewski’s earlier attempts had hit the crossbar, and several other Tar Heel shots were blocked or sailed wide.
“Ironically, in the first half, I thought we were absolutely outstanding,” Dorrance said. “That was our best half, and yet we couldn’t score. We played exceptionally well. (Assistant coach) Bill Palladino and I joke about this all the time: What do you do (at halftime) with a team that plays well and has nothing to show for it? You don’t want to criticize them because you don’t want to be disingenuous.”
Tigers coach Eddie Radwanski viewed the flow of the game much the same way.
“I thought they came out played very well and did a good job of pressing us,” he said of the Tar Heels. “I thought we were apprehensive and not very brave in the first half for some reason. I don’t know why that happened. But the funny thing was, we got to halftime and it was still nil-nil.”
Though UNC wound up tallying its game-winner in the second half, Radwanski felt his troops acquitted themselves well in the final 45 minutes.
“I am proud of my kids because they kept battling,” Radwanski said. “We had a couple of chances there. They didn’t give up, and that’s what I wanted to see. They didn’t give up.”
Clemson (12-8) will now await Monday’s announcement of NCAA Tournament selections. Radwanski expressed confidence his team will be well-placed following another season in which the ACC has acquitted itself exceptionally well.
Sunday’s championship game is set for a noon start and will be televised nationally by ESPNU.