CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –  The sixth-ranked North Carolina women’s soccer team had been knocking at the door all night but it took the first career goal from sophomore Maya Worth to earn the Tar Heels a spot in the NCAA Tournament third round as Carolina took down Colorado 1-0 in overtime Friday night at a frigid and packed Fetzer Field.

 

Worth converted on her own rebound at the 94:40 mark of the match as the Tar Heels earned a spot in the Final 16 of the tournament for the 33rd successive year.  UNC will play South Carolina Sunday at 1 p.m. at Fetzer Field with the winner earning a spot in the NCAA quarterfinals next weekend.

 

Colorado (14-7-1) had kept the Tar Heels at bay all evening until the 95th minute.  Worth finally converted on UNC’s 22nd shot of the game as Carolina ended with a 22-2 advantage in that statistic.  The Tar Heels had an overwhelming possession advantage in the match but found opportunities in the 18-yard box hard to come by.

 

That changed with a tactical maneuver in overtime as UNC head coach Anson Dorrance started the first 10-minute session with six reserves on the field along with starting forward Emily Bruder, UNC’s starting defense of Satara Murray, Jessie Scarpa and Katie Bowen and goalkeeper Lindsey Harris who normally plays the second half for UNC.  Carolina employed the strategy much of the game with 21 players seeing action and all of them playing double digit minutes.

 

Coming into the overtime, the Tar Heels were definitely the fresher team as compared to a Colorado team which played only 13 players considerable minutes.

 

After Colorado sailed the overtime kickoff over the end line, UNC maintained possession in the Buffs’ half for the next five minutes.  Eventually, Bruder sent a cross in the 94th minute from the left side that had to be tipped over the cross bar by Colorado goalkeeper Kate Scheele for UNC’s fifth corner kick of the match.  After Katie Bowen served the ball into the box, the Tar Heels regrouped and scored 27 seconds later.  Carolina switched the field to the right side and sophomore Danae O’Halloran sent a perfect cross into the middle of the penalty area at the six-yard line.  Worth was there to head the ball which was deflected by a Colorado player.  But the ball went directly to Worth who powered a shot with her right foot into the ball of the goal for the first tally of her career.

 

Worth’s goal gave UNC its 120th overall NCAA Tournament victory and ensured the Tar Heels another Sweet 16 berth.  It was Carolina’s first overtime victory in the NCAA Tournament since it beat Stanford 1-0 in the 2012 NCAA semifinals in San Diego, Calif.

 

UNC improved to 14-3-2 on the season with the victory before a crowd of 4,211 who stayed until the very end even when temperatures dipped into the 20s.  The Tar Heels have lost only one match since August and they improved this season to 10-2 in games decided by one goal.  UNC is 4-1-2 in overtime games this season.

 

On the night, UNC outshot the Buffaloes 22-2 and had an edge in corner kicks 5-1.  Kate Scheele went the distance in goal for Colorado, making six saves.  Despite UNC’s 22-2 shot advantage, Carolina was able to put only seven of its shots on frame.  UNC used its goalkeeper platoon as usual and Bryane Heaberlin made one first half save while Lindsey Harris made one save in the second half and overtime.

 

The best of Scheele’s six saves came at the 54:48 mark when Amber Munerlyn got free in the box but her shot was tipped over the bar by Scheele for a corner kick.  The Tar Heels had another good look with 6:04 to play when Summer Green had a perfect service into the box that Paige Nielsen ran on to only to see her volley go just wide of the goal.

 

In the first game at Fetzer Field Friday, South Carolina advanced to the third round after prevailing in penalty kicks against Seattle.  Neither team found the back of the net in regulation or overtime but the Gamecocks outscored the Redhawks 2-1 in the five rounds of penalty kicks to advance to Sunday’s game against Carolina.