CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –  The sixth-ranked University of North Carolina women’s soccer team advanced to the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament Friday evening with a 2-0 victory over Summit League champion South Dakota State at Fetzer Field.

In securing North Carolina’s 119th all-time win in NCAA Tournament play, the Tar Heels struck for two first-half goals by Amber Munerlyn and Paige Nielsen and then kept the Jackrabbits at bay, outshooting them 19-2 on the evening.

UNC, an NCAA Tournament #2 seed, improves to 13-3-2 on the season.  The Tar Heels are now 12-1-1 in their last 14 games.  South Dakota State saw its season end with a record of 10-8-2.  Carolina has now earned the right to host an NCAA Tournament second round game next week in Chapel Hill.  It will face the winner of the BYU-Colorado first round match which will be played Saturday in Boulder, Colo.  The date and time of next week’s second round game will be announced over the weekend.

The Tar Heels opened the scoring at the 15:35 mark of the game as Amber Munerlyn notched her fourth goal of the season as she carved up the defense to finish past SDSU goalkeeper Nicole Inskeep from eight yards out.  UNC starting midfielder Joanna Boyles sent a long ball from just outside UNC defensive penalty area that Emily Bruder took in stride about 30 yards from the Jackrabbits’ goal.  Bruder threaded a perfect pass to Munerlyn who then cashed in on her scoring chance.

UNC extended its lead to 2-0 in the 42nd minute.  Paige Nielsen notched her fifth goal of the season, finishing off a cross from Maya Worth from the right side of the box inside the near post.  Amanda Rooney sent a ball from 25 yards out in the center to Worth, who tracked it down on the end line and sent a perfect ball to Nielsen for the putaway.  The assists were the first career points for both Rooney and Worth.

The irony in both goals was the fact that Nielsen was slated to start the game in lieu of Munerlyn on the Tar Heel front line.  But Nielsen missed part of the pregame warmups because her flight from New York City, where she was interviewing for summer internships was delayed.  Therefore, Munerlyn got the start and scored early and Nielsen came on as a substitute in the 30th minute and scored the insurance goal just before halftime.

South Dakota State goalkeeper Nicole Inskeep kept the Tar Heels off the scoreboard otherwise, making seven saves.  Her best saves came on shots by Joanna Boyles in the 23rd minute and a shot by Megan Buckingham in the 87th minute.  UNC also had several good looks in the second half at empty nets but the Tar Heels were not able to keep their shots on frame.

The best scoring chance of the night for the Jackrabbits came in the 65th minute off their only corner kick of the game.  Delaney Ratcliffe’s corner kick found the head of Diana Potterveld in the box but UNC goalkeeper Lindsey Harris gobbled it up to retain a clean sheet for the Tar Heels.

As it has all season, UNC played a deep bench, with 21 of the 22 players in uniform seeing action.

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