When most folks think about women’s college soccer, they think about the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — the program that has produced countless U.S. national team standouts and has more national titles than anyone else. No coach in any NCAA Division I sport has won as many national championships as former Tar Heels’ coach Anson Dorrance’s 21, and UNC added another to that total last year when Damon Nahas took the reins and captured another title.
Many expect the Tar Heels to contend for another championship this year, as they were voted the preseason No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
The Tennessee Volunteers, however, are forcing folks to readjust their projections.
Behind a pair of goals from Shae O’Rourke, Tennessee defeated North Carolina 2-0 on the opening day of Division I women’s soccer on Thursday night, marking the first time ever that the Vols have defeated the No. 1 ranked team in the country. It’s also the first time since 2002 that the reigning NCAA champion lost its season-opener — Santa Clara beat Stanford that year.
The Lady Vols broke the scoring open in the 57th minute when O’Rourke — a redshirt junior transfer from South Carolina — received a precise pass from Jenna Stayart that sent O’Rourke into the final third with a defender and the goalkeeper to beat. After slicing by UNC’s charging keeper and outrunning the defender, O’Rourke lofted a right-footed shot from outside of the box that landed softly inside the far post for her first goal in a Tennessee uniform.
And that score would have been enough, but O’Rourke added one more in the 75th minute by redirecting Sarah Kate Rath’s low cross from the right wing and tucking the ball just inside the far post. O’Rourke, who missed last season with an injury, scored 11 goals in two years with the Gamecocks.
“We didn’t change anything tonight for UNC,” Tennessee coach Joe Kirt said. “We were ourselves. This team has been connected all year. We talk about it all the time—our voices, our energy, looking after teammates and they did exactly that tonight. They covered for one another, stepped up and made plays.”
UNC got off 14 shots and put six of those attempts on-frame, but couldn’t get a ball past Tennessee sophomore goalkeeper Cayden Norris.
The Tar Heels suffered a pair of shutout defeats last season — to Duke and Stanford — before going on to win the national title.
Tennessee didn’t receive a single vote in the preseason coaches poll. That’ll likely change when the next one is released.
