Sept. 8, 2006

Box Score

PORTLAND, OREGON - The No. 5 North Carolina women's soccer team got goals from four different players, three by freshmen and three coming off rebounds, as it whitewashed the Washington Huskies 4-0 Friday night at the Nike Portland Invitational being played at Harry A. Merlo Field. The win was Carolina's fifth straight after a season-opening double overtime loss at Texas A&M and it sets up a battle with defending NCAA champion Portland (3-1-1) Sunday afternoon at Merlo Field at 2:30 p.m. PDT.

UNC (5-1) scored all four of its goals in a span of 29 minutes from midway through the first half and extending into the first five minutes of the second half. Three of the goals came in less than 13 minutes of actual clock time.

The Carolina goals came from freshman Whitney Engen, junior Jaime Gilbert, freshman Tobin Heath and freshman Sterling Smith. Senior Elizabeth Guess had two assists for the Tar Heels while Engen added an assist to her game-winning goal stat line. Heath scored her goal in her first game as a Tar Heel as she and freshman forward Casey Nogueira both made their UNC debuts after playing the past few weeks with the U.S. Under-20 National Team at the World Championship in Russia.

The Tar Heels started the scoring at 21:18 on a goal by freshman Whitney Engen. Senior striker Heather O'Reilly served a ball from the left wing to Elizabeth Guess at the eight-yard line but Guess' shot was stopped by Huskies' goalkeeper Kelsey Rasmussen. Rasmussen could not corral the ball, however, and Engen jumped on the rebound for a tap in from five yards out. The goal was the first of Engen's career.

A little over 15 minutes later, Carolina boosted its lead to 2-0 on Jaime Gilbert's first goal of the season. Elizabeth Guess fed freshman midfielder Nikki Washington who carried the ball into the right side of the penalty box before centering to Gilbert near post. Gilbert was unmarked and she gathered in the pass, settled the ball and then sent a strike over Rasmussen into the upper right. The goal came at 36:39 and was Gilbert's first of the year.

The Tar Heels put the game away with a pair of goals in the first 4:37 of the second half. At 46:37, Heath scored on a rebound off a shot by Yael Averbuch. Averbuch's strike rattled off the cross bar and Heath ran on to the ball in the box and headed in the shot from about eight yards out to Rasmussen's left.

Carolina finished off the scoring less than three minutes later as freshman forward Sterling Smith scored her third goal of the season off an assist by Engen. Engen won the ball about 35 yards out on the left side and she dribbled into the box where her shot from the 15-yard line was saved by Rasmussen. The Huskies' keeper was unable to win possession, however, and Smith pounced on the ball to punch in the rebound, her third goal in the last four matches.

UNC outshot the Huskies 29-4 and the Heels had a 6-2 edge in corner kicks. Carolina's Anna Rodenbough earned her fourth solo shutout of the season. She was credited with two saves. Rasmussen played a little over 71 minutes for the Huskies, making nine saves and allowing four goals. Taylor Carr played the last 18:50 and made one save.

UNC is now 5-1 while Washington fell to 3-2. In the Nike Portland Invitational on Sunday, Washington will take on Baylor at 12 p.m. PDT with the matchup of UNC and Portland at 2:30 p.m. PDT. The game features teams which have won two of the last three NCAA championships. Carolina won the title in 2003 and Portland claimed the crown last year.