CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina lost its opening round NCAA Tournament for the first time in 40 tries as South Carolina upended the second-seeded Tar Heels, 1-0, Saturday at Dorrance Field.
The Gamecocks (12-6-1) put away the lone goal of the match with 9:22 remaining as Luciana Zullo slipped a shot in the back of the net on pass from Lauren Chang. Heather Hiz had three saves for her fifth shuout of the season.
UNC outshot South Carolina 11-9 and held a 7-4 advantage on corner kicks, including a 5-1 mark after halftime.
"The amount of opportunities we had off crosses and corner kicks just adds to the frustration," sophomore Avery Patterson said.