Clemson Women’s Soccer Team Falls to Third-Ranked North Carolina Thursday

Sept. 25, 2008

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson women’s soccer team fell to third-ranked North Carolina by a score of 5-2 on Thursday night at Riggs Field. The Tigers fall to 4-4 (0-1 ACC) with the loss, while the Tar Heels improve to 8-1-1 (1-0 ACC). Senior Julie Bolt scored two goals for Clemson in the loss, and freshman Tara Cort tallied two assists.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead less than eight minutes into the game when Bolt scored her first goal of the day and seventh of the season. Bolt received a pass from Cort near the top of the box and was able to break away from the Tar Heel defense enough to send a 12-yard shot into the net to the right of the North Carolina goalkeeper.

North Carolina’s Tobin Heath answered with an unassisted goal at the 17:22 mark. Heath then scored in the 37th and 44th minute to complete the hat trick and give the Tar Heels a 3-1 lead heading into the half. North Carolina scored two more goals, Jessica McDonald at the 52:24 mark and Brittani Bartok at the 57:59 mark, to take a 5-1 lead.

With less than five minutes left in the game, Bolt netted her second goal of the night and eighth of the season. She was assisted on the play by two freshmen, Cort and Sarah Jacobs. Both players now have three assists on the year.

In the game, North Carolina took 32 shots to the Tigers’ six and the Tar Heels had five corner kicks to Clemson’s one. Sophomore Paula Pritzen recorded 11 saves in goal for Clemson and Ashlyn Harris and Anna Rodenbough posted one save apiece in the game.

“I was pleased with the way we started the game,” said head coach Hershey Strosberg. “We talked beforehand about coming out with the right mindset and not only absorbing their hits, but taking a few swings back of our own. We can take a couple of positives from this game. We have a lot of young players and the only way to get experience in the ACC is to play games like we did tonight.

“I have said all along that Julie Bolt is a warrior and once again we saw that tonight. North Carolina is as good of a team as there is in the country, and Julie did well to finish on both goals that she scored.”

Clemson will have a week off before it faces another Atlantic Coast Conference opponent at Riggs Field. The Tigers will face Virginia Tech in a 7:00 p.m. contest next Thursday, October 2.

North Carolina 5, Clemson 2

Game Summary Goals: Clemson – Bolt (from Cort) 7:56 North Carolina – Heath (unassisted) 17:22 North Carolina – Heath (from Bartok and Hawkins) 36:22 North Carolina – Heath (from Hawkins) 43:14 North Carolina – McDonald (from Nogueira) 52:24 North Carolina – Bartok (unassisted) 57:59 Clemson – Bolt (from Jacobs and Cort) 85:35 Saves – Pritzen (CU) 11, Harris (UNC) 1, Rodenbough (UNC) 1 Shots – Clemson 6, North Carolina 32 Corner Kicks – Clemson 1, North Carolina 5 Fouls – Clemson 7, North Carolina 6