CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The 19th-ranked Old Dominion Lady Monarchs closed out the regular season against No. 3 North Carolina, but suffered a 5-1 loss to the Tar Heels. ODU fell to 9-9 going into the BIG EAST Tournament, while UNC improved its record to 15-2 on the year.
The Lady Monarchs took the early 1-0 lead just 5:39 minutes into the contest when Megan Byas blasted a shot past the Tar Heels keeper on a penalty corner set up by Catalina Barahona. The score marked the second straight game Byas has notched a goal and her fourth of the season.
The Tar Heels countered with three goals in a span of 7:49 to hold a 3-1 lead going into the intermission. Gab Major scored the first two goals for UNC, while Sam Night registered the third.
At the half, North Carolina led Old Dominion with a 12-3 shot advantage and held a slight 4-3 edge in penalty corners. Freshman keeper Kealsie Robles kept the Tar Heels from increasing their lead by making four saves in the first period.
UNC added two more scores in the second half by Ashley Hoffman and Emily Wold, while holding ODU to just one shot the entire period, as the Tar Heels secured the 5-1 victory over the Lady Monarchs.
For the game, North Carolina held a 23-4 advantage in shots over Old Dominion, while earning seven penalty corners to the Lady Monarchs’ three.
Robles (8-8) suffered the loss for ODU and finished the game with nine saves, bringing her season total to 52. Shannon Johnson (15-2) picked up the win for UNC, making one save.
The Lady Monarchs are back in action on Friday at 2:00 p.m. against UConn in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championship. Tickets can be purchased on-site or online at ynottix.com. All three games will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network via the FOX Sports GO app.