Sunday, August 27
Tampa, Fla.
1:00 p.m.
North Carolina
4
at
2
South Florida
Taylor Otto's hat trick was Carolina's first in four years.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Otto's Hat Trick Powers Tar Heels To Victory Over USF
August 27, 2017 | Women's Soccer
Alessia Russo scores game-winner for Carolina.
TAMPA, FLA. – Freshman Taylor Otto recorded the Tar Heels' first hat trick in four years and freshman Alessia Russo scored the game-winner in the 74th minute as the fourth-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team knocked South Florida from the ranks of the unbeaten by a 4-2 score Sunday afternoon at Corbett Stadium.
In the process, the Tar Heels bounced back from a 2-1 overtime loss at UCF Friday night and improved to 2-1 on the season. South Florida lost for the first time after starting the season 3-0. It was the first meeting ever between the two teams and it was played on a cloudy day with temperatures in the 80s. The official attendance was 912.
Otto scored three goals for the Tar Heels, including two on penalty kicks. She scored both of Carolina's goals in the first half and then added an insurance goal in the 85th minute. It was the first hat trick by a Tar Heel player since Crystal Dunn scored three goals against Miami on September 22, 2013 in a 4-0 win in Coral Gables, Fla. It was also only the second hat trick notched by a Tar Heel since Courtney Jones scored three goals against Duke on October 28, 2010 in a 5-3 Carolina victory over the Blue Devils in Durham, N.C.
On Sunday, the teams traded goals in the first half to go to intermission at 2-2. Megan Buckingham was taken down from behind in the penalty area in the 17th minute and Otto stepped to the 12-yard spot and finished into the lower right corner for her first career goal at 16:25. Less than four minutes later, Carolina was called for a foul in USF's penalty area and Andrea Hauksdottir scored into the right side of the goal for her third goal of the season.
UNC retook the lead at 37:34 on a nice passing combination between Morgan Goff and Taylor Otto as the Tar Heels took advantage of an interception 30 yards from the South Florida goal. Goff took the ball into the penalty area and found Otto on the right side and she finished from 12 yards out past USF goalkeeper Kat Elliott. Again, the lead did not hold for long as Evelyne Viens scored her fourth goal of the season at 39:19 to tie the game 2-2. Viens dribbled down the middle of the field and with no defender picking her up, Tar Heel goalkeeper Samantha Leshnak came out to try to cut down the angle but Viens chipped her to score from the top of the box.
Regrouping at half, the Tar Heels came out and dominated the second half, outshooting the Bulls 16-2 after intermission and scoring twice to come away with the victory. The game-winning goal came off the foot of freshman Alessia Russo, who joined the team last week from England. She took a pass from Dorian Bailey, dribbled a few yards and then finished from 22 yards out into the lower right corner of the goal. The goal came at 73:58 of the match.
At 84:27, USF defender Kelli Burney took down UNC's Bridgette Andrzejewski in the box, earning a straight red card in the process for denying a clear scoring chance by the UNC sophomore forward. Otto again converted successfully on the penalty kick, going low and to the right side for her third goal of the game.
UNC ended up with a 25-6 edge in shots while the Tar Heels took all 10 corner kicks in the game. Kat Elliott played all 90 minutes in goal for USF and made seven saves while allowing four goals. Samantha Leshnak played all 90 minutes for the Tar Heels and made two saves while allowing two goals.
The Tar Heels return to action again with games next Friday and Sunday at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C. at the Duke Nike Classic. The Tar Heels will play Auburn at 5 p.m. Friday and UNCW Sunday 11 a.m. Both games will be webcast nationally on ACC Network Extra. The match against UNCW will also be broadcast live on WCHL Radio (97.9 FM), Chapel Hill's hometown radio station.
In the process, the Tar Heels bounced back from a 2-1 overtime loss at UCF Friday night and improved to 2-1 on the season. South Florida lost for the first time after starting the season 3-0. It was the first meeting ever between the two teams and it was played on a cloudy day with temperatures in the 80s. The official attendance was 912.
Otto scored three goals for the Tar Heels, including two on penalty kicks. She scored both of Carolina's goals in the first half and then added an insurance goal in the 85th minute. It was the first hat trick by a Tar Heel player since Crystal Dunn scored three goals against Miami on September 22, 2013 in a 4-0 win in Coral Gables, Fla. It was also only the second hat trick notched by a Tar Heel since Courtney Jones scored three goals against Duke on October 28, 2010 in a 5-3 Carolina victory over the Blue Devils in Durham, N.C.
On Sunday, the teams traded goals in the first half to go to intermission at 2-2. Megan Buckingham was taken down from behind in the penalty area in the 17th minute and Otto stepped to the 12-yard spot and finished into the lower right corner for her first career goal at 16:25. Less than four minutes later, Carolina was called for a foul in USF's penalty area and Andrea Hauksdottir scored into the right side of the goal for her third goal of the season.
UNC retook the lead at 37:34 on a nice passing combination between Morgan Goff and Taylor Otto as the Tar Heels took advantage of an interception 30 yards from the South Florida goal. Goff took the ball into the penalty area and found Otto on the right side and she finished from 12 yards out past USF goalkeeper Kat Elliott. Again, the lead did not hold for long as Evelyne Viens scored her fourth goal of the season at 39:19 to tie the game 2-2. Viens dribbled down the middle of the field and with no defender picking her up, Tar Heel goalkeeper Samantha Leshnak came out to try to cut down the angle but Viens chipped her to score from the top of the box.
Regrouping at half, the Tar Heels came out and dominated the second half, outshooting the Bulls 16-2 after intermission and scoring twice to come away with the victory. The game-winning goal came off the foot of freshman Alessia Russo, who joined the team last week from England. She took a pass from Dorian Bailey, dribbled a few yards and then finished from 22 yards out into the lower right corner of the goal. The goal came at 73:58 of the match.
At 84:27, USF defender Kelli Burney took down UNC's Bridgette Andrzejewski in the box, earning a straight red card in the process for denying a clear scoring chance by the UNC sophomore forward. Otto again converted successfully on the penalty kick, going low and to the right side for her third goal of the game.
UNC ended up with a 25-6 edge in shots while the Tar Heels took all 10 corner kicks in the game. Kat Elliott played all 90 minutes in goal for USF and made seven saves while allowing four goals. Samantha Leshnak played all 90 minutes for the Tar Heels and made two saves while allowing two goals.
The Tar Heels return to action again with games next Friday and Sunday at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C. at the Duke Nike Classic. The Tar Heels will play Auburn at 5 p.m. Friday and UNCW Sunday 11 a.m. Both games will be webcast nationally on ACC Network Extra. The match against UNCW will also be broadcast live on WCHL Radio (97.9 FM), Chapel Hill's hometown radio station.