In front of the second-largest home crowd in program history, the seventh-ranked Carolina women’s soccer team rallied for a 4-2 win over second-ranked Duke on Thursday.
The 6,791 fans who showed up to Dorrance Field (a number surpassed only by a 1995 NCAA semifinal crowd of 7,212) saw the Tar Heels take a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute when senior Utah transfer Lilliah Blum scored on a sliding touch after intercepting a pass in the attacking third. Four minutes before halftime, the Blue Devils equalized
as freshman Rylee McLanahan fired home a loose ball in the penalty area.
In the 49th minute, Carolina was called for a handball in its own box, giving Duke a penalty kick that senior Mia Minestrella converted. The Blue Devils held a 2-1 lead for the next 22 minutes, but UNC scored in the 71st and 74th minutes to go back on top. Blum delivered from just inside 18 yards to tie the game before senior BYU transfer Izzi Stratton won a goalmouth scramble resulting from a corner kick. Junior Shaela Bradley provided the dagger with less than two minutes to go, blasting a shot into the top of the goal from the right side of the penalty area.
Carolina finished with a 10-6 advantage in shots, including 6-4 in shots on goal, and had 10 corner kicks to Duke’s one.
This is the first ranked win of the season for the Tar Heels, who improve to 8-1 overall and 2-0 in ACC play. It’s also their first time beating Duke in Chapel Hill since 2020 and first time scoring four or more goals against the Blue Devils since 2010.
UNC wraps up its home stand against Alcorn State on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET. The game will be broadcast on ACCNX.
