Credit: GR Productions / Seton Hall Women's Soccer
Pirates Fall to Ranked Tar Heels 2-0, Following 90-Minute Weather Delay
Published: Sunday, September 1, 2024
by CJ Weipz
CHAPEL HILL, NC – Seton Hall (2-3-1) falls to fifth-ranked North Carolina (6-0-0) by a score of 2-0, losing their second straight game this Labor Day weekend. The Pirates gave up a season-high 23 shots to the Tar Heels, including 10 on goal, the first time they have done so since their matchup with Butler late last year.
Both the Pirates and the Tar Heels entered the matchup with changes in their starting 11. Most notably North Carolina’s Olivia Thomas, ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week last week, was ruled out today, while Josh Osit gave the nod to freshman Abby Udowenko for her first career start as a Pirate.
The Tar Heels came out firing in the first half, lighting up Pirates goalie Anna Prawer with some early shots. Forward Tessa Dellarose and Jersey-native Emerson Elgin both had great opportunities early on. The Pirates defense held firm, playing with four defenders rather than their usual three utilized by Osit. Olivia Beauvois, who was moved to the outside back position for today, faced a lot of traffic in the first half but dealt with it cleanly.
The Pirates could not find their rhythm offensively, with their only real chance in the first half coming from a Sophie Liston 30-yard shot attempt on a breakaway in the 16th minute. The North Carolina fullbacks, headlined by freshman Trinity Armstrong, kept Natalie Tavana and company in check for the first half, giving little to no breathing room for any offensive attack.
The Tar Heels controlled the pace of play, breaking down the Pirates' defense and eventually leading to a Dellarose goal off a corner kick in the 23rd minute. The Pirates had another scare shortly after, but Chiara Pucci cleared a dangerous ball after Prawer was beaten off her line. The half ended with a mass of rain and lightning, leading to a 90-minute weather delay that caused the second half to start at 3:20 p.m.
However, the rain did not stop the Tar Heels. The fifth-ranked team in the nation picked up where they left off, controlling the tempo and finding the gaps in the Pirate’s compact defense. North Carolina had more chances to start the half, namely on their corner kicks, of which they had seven total.
Avery Strohecker came in for Prawer in the second half, facing a similar onslaught of Tar Heels attacks. North Carolina took advantage of the young keeper, notching an insurance goal in the 57th minute off the boot of Bella Sember. The goal was Sember’s third on the season, tied for the second most on the team.
Subsequently, the Pirates had trouble creating chances out of their own half. After dropping nearly all 10 position players back to help with the Tar Heel offense, the midfield could not gain any ground when they won possession. Pucci, Tavana, and Lily Camacho were the only Pirates to play all 90 minutes, as Osit emptied the bench early and often in this one.
The score remained 2-0 even after a late push by Seton Hall in the last 10 minutes, which featured another Liston long-range shot and one from Tavana.
The Pirates will return to South Orange next week as they face NJIT on Sunday, September 8 at 2 p.m.
CJ Weipz is an Assistant Sports Director at WSOU, and can be reached at christopher.weipz@student.shu.eduPosted in: sports,