Sports > October 9, 2008

By Gary Pasqualicchio | Staff writer

Facing a tough test in the UNC-Chapel Hill Tar Heels, the Lady Deacons fell in front of a home crowd of 1,309 by a score of 4-2. The No.2-ranked Tar Heels came into Spry Stadium Oct. 5 with a record of 10-1-1, 3-0 in conference. The No. 16 Deacs were coming off a tough 1-0 loss to Boston College with a record of 8-2-0, 1-1 in the ACC.

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A Deacon player passes the ball during a recent home game. The women travel to Duke Oct. 9 to take on the Blue Devils in ACC action. (Mary Kate Wagner/Old Gold & Black)

Junior Laura Morse got the start in net and, despite allowing four goals, recorded a career-high eight saves.

Just two minutes into the contest, Morse made a diving save.

Only three minutes later, freshman Courtney Jones of the Tar Heels missed high in the Heels’ second good chance of the first half.

The Tar Heels continued to pummel Morse when she made a spectacular stop of a corner kick attempt to keep the game scoreless. The corner was one of nine for the Tar Heels while Wake Forest had only two.

The Lady Deacs surrendered the first goal of the game 14 minutes in when junior forward Casey Noguiera split the defense and fired one into an open part of the net.

Things got chippy a few minutes after that first goal when Morse and Allie Long of the Heels both received yellow cards.

Perhaps that moment fired up the Tarheels because after Morse made another amazing save, this one a low shot from Tar Heel Tobin Heath, UNC-Chapel Hill scored again.

A Deacon foul, one of nine on the day, led to a free kick by senior Yael Averbuch.

She fired it past Morse at the 19 minute mark to make the score 2-0.

The Deacons didn’t get many chances in the game, being out-shot in commanding fashion 23-5.

However, junior Jill Hutchinson made one count at the end of the first half. Sarah Winslow, another of the Deacon’s skilled juniors, took the ball into the box and fired a beautiful pass to Hutchinson.

She rocketed a shot past Tar Heels keeper Anna Rodenbaugh to cut the deficit to 2-1 going into halftime. The goal was Hutchinson’s sixth of the year, which tied her with junior Allie Sadow for the team lead.

The Wake Forest defense did a good job slowing down the Carolina attack at the onset of the second half but they still couldn’t get anything going on the other end of the field.

The Tar Heels got a couple more chances toward the end of the half and Morse was again up to the challenge.

At the 68 minute mark she made another save from on the ground, killing one attack.

Three minutes later, she poked away a corner kick attempt from going into the net. Seemingly out of nowhere, three goals were scored in an eight minute span toward the end of the game.

Nogueira sent another one past Morse in the upper left corner of the net at the 76 minute mark to increase the Carolina lead to 3-1.

With the game seemingly out of reach, the Deacs fought back when senior Amy Smerdzinski scored off a corner kick to make the score 3-2.

Nogueira finally put away the scrappy Deacs when she eluded a defender and scored her third goal of the game, 12th of the season, to make the final 4-2.

The Lady Deacons just cannot seem to defeat the Tar Heels, who own the all-time series at 22-1 and won last year’s matchup 1-0 in Chapel Hill.

The loss drops Wake Forest to 1-2 in the ACC while the Tar Heels improve to a perfect 4-0.

The Deacs will look to get back on track when they travel to Durham to face the Duke Blue Devils Oct. 9.