__Zimmeck’s header gives the College 1-0 victory; win marks program’s first all-time against the Tar Heels__
Junior forward Claire Zimmeck’s header in the 84th minute gave the Tribe a 1-0 upset victory over then-2nd-ranked University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill Sunday afternoon, in what will go down as one of the most impressive victories in the history of the Tribe’s program. The College beat a team whose program has won 18 of 25 NCAA Championships; moreover, President Gene Nichol heralded the performance in a campus-wide e-mail.
“We had a great performance defensively, and the entire team was magnificent,” Coach Daly said on TribeAthletics.com.
p. The College rebounded from a 1-1 record in the Tribe Invitational last weekend with a strong play in the VCU/Ewing Sports Invitational in Richmond. The College also defeated the United States Naval Academy 4-0 Friday prior to pulling off their extraordinary win against the Tar Heels. The two victories improved the Tribe’s record to 4-2 on the season.
p. Before Sunday’s win over UNC, the Tribe had never beaten the Tar Heels, compiling a 0-20-1 record in the series. The College’s only goal of the match came when Zimmeck redirected senior midfielder Emily Kittelson’s pass with a header from five yards out.
p. During the game, the Tar Heels outshot the Tribe 17-1 and had a 10-1 advantage in corner kicks. Junior goalkeeper Meghan Walker notched seven saves to record a shutout and preserve the victory.
p. “It was a backs-to-the-wall sort of game,” head coach John Daly said on TribeAthletics.com. “They do a great job of pressuring their opponents. It’s not a case of what you can do but what you are allowed to do.”
p. Last year the Tribe played Navy in the first round of the NCAA tournament and lost when Navy advanced on penalty kicks. The College came into this game at 2-2 while Navy came in unbeaten at 3-0-2.
p. Zimmeck and sophomore midfielder Sarah Quinlan led the Tribe offense in this game with two goals each. Kittleson and fellow senior midfielder Mary MacKenzie Grier contributed two and one assists respectively. By game’s end the Tribe led Navy in shots 14-6, while Navy earned the game’s only corner kick. The College’s and Zimmeck’s first goal came in the 35th minute, when she gathered a loose ball and ripped a shot from 25 yards out into the left corner of the goal. Zimmeck scored again in the 52nd minute off a pass from Emily Kittleson, and Quinlan then tallied the next two goals of the game. Both of Quinlan’s goals came within a minute of each other.
p. “We kept it tight and descended well,” Coach Daly said. “The team knows how to defend and be patient with the buildup.”
p. Walker was named the CAA Player of the Week and the VCU/Ewing Sports Invitational’s Most Valuable Player as a result of her eight saves in two games, including the seven saves that came against UNC.
p. The Tribe returns home for a night match with Albany University tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Albert-Daly Field.
