NEWTON, MASS. –  Kealia Ohai scored her sixth goal of the season and her third game-winning goal of the campaign to lift eighth-ranked North Carolina past 17^th-ranked Boston College Thursday night before a crowd of 2,000 at the Newton Campus Soccer Center.  The win allows the Tar Heels to stay tied atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings with Duke and Virginia with two matches remaining in the season.

 

Ohai’s goal came in the 68^th minute and it came as the Tar Heels took advantage of a miscleared corner kick by the Boston College defense to pounce on the opportunity the Tar Heels needed to win this key ACC game.

 

Amber Brooks took a corner kick from the right side that a BC defender tried to clear out.  The ball squirted out to freshman defender Caitlin Ball on the left side of the box and she redirected a high cross to the top of the box.  UNC’s 6-0 Rachel Wood was there to nod the ball on to Ohai who broke free on the right side, craftily staying onside on the play.  Ohai took one touch and then buried a shot inside the left side netting from 12 yards out.  BC goalie Jillian Mastroianni had no chance to prevent the Tar Heels from taking the lead.

 

The goal was Ohai’s sixth of the season and her third game-winning goal.  Last Thursday she also had the game-winner for the Tar Heels in a 1-0 win over third-ranked Duke.  She has now scored in four of the past five games for UNC, all of which have resulted in victories.

 

UNC extended its unbeaten string to six matches and improved to 11-2-1 overall and 6-1-1 in the ACC.  Boston College, which at one time was 9-0-2, fell for the fourth straight game.  The Eagles are now 9-4-2 overall and 4-4 in conference play.

 

The Tar Heels are now in a three-way tie with Virginia and Duke for first place in the regular season ACC standings.  All three teams have 19 points.  Wake Forest is in fourth place with 15 while BC has 12 and Maryland 11.

 

Carolina returns to action on Sunday at 1 p.m. when it plays Virginia Tech at Thompson Field in Blacksburg, Va.  The Hokies are coming off a 4-0 loss at Virginia on Thursday night.  That loss dropped the Hokies to 11-5-1 overall and 3-4-1 in the ACC.

 

UNC ended with a 17-10 shot advantage against the Eagles and a 7-3 edge in corner kicks.

 

The Tar Heels nearly took the lead with 29 minutes left in the first half when Crystal Dunn got free near the top of the box but her shot from 22 yards out grazed the cross bar and went over.  On the other end, BC had a couple of good opportunities to score from Stephanie McCaffrey but her shots with 15 and 12 minutes left in the half were both off the frame of the goal.

 

Boston College almost took the lead in the second minute of the second half but Kristen Mewis’ header was deflected off the cross bar by UNC goalkeeper Anna Sieloff.  The Eagles came up empty on the rebound and the match remained tied.

 

After Ohai put the Tar Heels ahead BC had a couple of great looks down the stretch but Kristen Mewis missed both shots high, one with 11 minutes to go and another with eight and a half minutes left.  UNC was then able to run out the clock and secure the win.

 

Both teams had their opportunities, combining for 27 shots but only five were on frame.  UNC placed only four of its 17 shots on goal and only one of BC’s 10 shots was on frame.

 

Adelaide Gay and Anna Sieloff combined on the shutout, the fourth in a row by the UNC defense.  Carolina has now shutout five of its last six opponents and allowed only three goals in its past eight matches.