CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –  Courtney Jones scored for the third straight game, all Tar Heel wins, and Kealia Ohai added an insurance goal as ninth-ranked North Carolina blanked Clemson 2-0 in women’s soccer action at Fetzer Field Thursday night.  UNC improved to 9-2 overall on the season and 4-1 in the ACC heading into a stretch of three straight games against teams ranked in the Top 6 in the Soccer America poll.

 

UNC head coach Anson Dorrance said his Tar Heels were arguably outplayed in the first half by plucky Clemson, in its first season under head coach Eddie Radwansky.  Both teams took four shots in the first half and Adelaide Gay had to make a save on a point blank header by Savannah Coiner in the sixth minute to keep the game tied.

 

But the second half proved a different story as Dorrance altered his starting lineup, moving Meg Morris into the midfield and starting Alyssa Rich at attacking center midfield.  The strategy worked as UNC outshot the Tigers (5-8, ACC 0-6) 9-3 in the second 45 minutes and produced the two goals necessary to gain three points in the ACC standings.

 

Carolina played without a trio of starters.  Crystal Dunn and Amber Brooks are in California training with the U23 National Team and Ranee Premji sat out after being injured in last Sunday’s win at Miami.  Rachel Wood also missed her third straight game but is expected back against Duke next Thursday.  Dunn and Brooks return from California Friday to rejoin their Tar Heel teammates.

 

After making the halftime adjustments, the Tar Heels began to get the better of the play about 20 minutes into the second half.  UNC had a flurry of three shots in a span of six seconds as the ball was pinged around the box with abandon.  The third shot of the sequence came off the foot of Kealia Ohai at 63:20 and it was saved by Lauren Arnold.  After Liska Dobberstein missed wide on the other end of the field UNC earned a goal kick and scored less than a minute later.  Jones was on the finishing end for her fourth goal of the season as she collected a through ball and one touch finished to the far post from 22 yards at the 64:14 mark.

 

Meg Morris fed a ball to Alyssa Rich in the midfield to jump start the scoring play and Rich’s through ball found Jones in stride and the senior midfielder from Danville, Calif., made sure she did not waste the chance.  She has now scored for the Tar Heels in successive wins over Florida State, Miami and Clemson and her goal Thursday was her second game-winning goal of the season.

 

Clemson best chance at forging a tie came in the 74^th minute but Anna Sieloff, who played the second 45 minutes in goal for UNC, made her only save of the half to deny a chance by Vanessa Laxgang.

 

Carolina then added an insurance goal off the foot of Kealia Ohai with 33 seconds to play.  Maria Lubrano fed a through ball to the streaking Ohai who converted on the breakaway.  Arnold got her hands on the ball but was unable to corral it and it ended up in the back of the frame for Ohai’s fourth goal of the season.

 

UNC finished with a 13-7 edge in shots.  Both teams had four corner kicks.

 

Carolina now faces a run of three straight games against nationally-ranked opponents.  The Tar Heels will host fourth-ranked Duke next Thursday at 7 p.m. at Fetzer Field and sixth-ranked Wake Forest on Sunday, October 16 at 1 p.m. at Fetzer Field.  Duke and Wake Forest are the only remaining undefeated teams in the ACC.  The Tar Heels also travel to play fifth-ranked Boston College on Wednesday, October 19 at 7 p.m. in Newton, Mass., during the upcoming stretch.