Aug. 24, 2014
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Fetzer Field
No. 4 North Carolina 1 (1-1-0), Ohio State 0 (1-1-0)
Attendance: 2,422
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Ohio State women’s soccer team suffered a hard-fought 1-0 loss at No. 4 North Carolina Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C. Both teams conclude the weekend with a 1-1 record after the Buckeyes topped No. 18 Duke and the Tar Heels fell to No. 6 Stanford Friday evening.
“Our team played with tremendous heart today,” Lori Walker, Ohio State head coach, said. “We played 14 players compared to 20 for them and that’s a huge credit to our fitness level and heart. Once they scored, the game opened up and we had three or four good opportunities late. We just need to take what we learned this weekend into our home opener next Sunday.”
The Tar Heels almost took the lead in the 15th minute when Joanna Boyles slipped wide open in the middle of the box, firing a shot from 12 yards, but Megan Geldernick was there to make a leaping save to keep the game scoreless.
Five minutes later, Hanna Gardner struck a shot from 25 yards out but Geldernick again was able to make the save, deflecting the ball off the crossbar and out of play.
The Buckeyes best opportunity of the first half came on a counter attack in the 35th minute. Michela Paradiso made a great run on the end of a through ball from Sydney Dudley but her right-footed strike from the top of the 18-yard box was stopped by a diving save from North Carolina goalkeeper Lindsey Harris.
Neither team was able to muster much the rest of the half as the game remained scoreless after the first 45 minutes.
Things stayed quiet until the 73rd minute when North Carolina’s Megan Buckingham finished a loose ball in the box from 10 yards to give the Tar Heels the 1-0 lead.
The match opened up for the Buckeyes over the final 17 minutes as Ohio State played multiple long balls into the box but could not come up with the equalizer as North Carolina came away with the win.
For the game, the Tar Heels held a 21-4 advantage in shots, including 11-1 on goal. North Carolina also held an 11-2 lead in corners.
Geldernick tallied a career-best eight saves for the second-consecutive match.
Ohio State opens its home schedule against nationally-ranked Virginia Tech at 6 p.m. Sunday.
