Chapel Hill, Carrboro draw 0-0 in soccer
On a night when offensive chances were as rare as warm hands or feet in the stands, Chapel Hill and Carrboro drew 0-0 in girls soccer.
Playing on a cloudy, windy, unseasonably chilly evening at Chapel Hill High School, the Tigers fended off the Jaguars’ attempts to avenge a 2-1 loss last month on their home field – the first loss in more than a year for North Carolina’s defending 2A champions.
“Of course you want to come away with a win against an in-town rival, but they’re a really good team, and this time we didn’t get a loss,” Carrboro head coach Jared Drexler said.
Neither team has yielded a goal since Chapel Hill’s 2-1 win March 16 at Carrboro.
Carrboro was 8-1-2 overall after Friday’s decision.
Chapel Hill was 6-6-2 after extending its current unbeaten streak to seven games.
“It was a fair result. Both teams had their chances,” Chapel Hill head coach Jason Curtis said.
Carrboro got off slightly more shots – nine to Chapel Hill’s seven – and had the two best chances of the evening.
In the 27th minute, Carrboro’s Miah Araba fired a try from 20 yards out that Chapel Hill goalkeeper Karolina Honkakoski dove to deflect past the far post; Jaguar teammate Erin Johnson one-timed the rebound, but it went straight into Honkakoski’s hands.
With 6 minutes left in regulation play, Carrboro’s Elizabeth Cato hit a hard shot from just outside the left edge of the penalty area that Honkakoski tipped off the crossbar. Natasha Turner tried to head in the deflection but her attempt sailed over the goal.
“We had a better second half than first half,” Drexler said.
Chapel Hill’s best opportunity came in the 60th minute, when Meg Testen ran onto a ball inside the box, but goalkeeper Grace Nanney smothered it before Testen could get off a shot.
The teams declined to play overtime periods, mandatory only in conference matches and the postseason playoffs.
Three who mattered
Morgan Brandewie, Chapel Hill: Listed as a forward/midfielder, the Tigers senior co-captain was all over the field Friday night, stopping Carrboro in Chapel Hill’s defensive third, controlling the center and helping to organize offensive chances.
Gaby Adams, Carrboro: The sophomore defender blunted most of Chapel Hill’s best attacks, rarely getting beaten one-on-one and never in the middle.
Karolina Honkakoski, Chapel Hill: Carrboro had the better chances, and Honkakoski made the more dramatic saves. She also played unusually well with her feet, allowing defenders continually to play the ball back to her to let her clear it forward.
Unsung hero
Grace Nanney, Carrboro: Still growing into her role as a goalkeeper, Nanney was rarely challenged, thanks to Carrboro’s solid defense, which has yet to give up a goal this season to a 2A team. But, when she had to step up, Nanney delivered, showing athleticism she’s learned as a Carrboro varsity basketball player.
By the numbers
1: Inadvertent handball in the penalty area. Carrboro fans thought they were going to get a penalty kick in the 77th minute when a shot bounced off Brandewie’s wrist, but the official waved the teams to play on.
1: Yellow card in the game, against Carrboro. The official called the match loosely, letting both sides play aggressively on defense.
50/50: Balls – both teams were just about dead even on possession and offensive chances.
8: Straight games that 3A Chapel Hill has won or drawn with 2A Carrboro.
6: years since Carrboro’s last win against the Tigers, a 1-0 decision on March 19, 2010.
50 Degrees Fahrenheit: – the air temperature at Chapel Hill High’s field by game’s end.
3: Carrboro players committed to Division I programs – Miah Araba and Laura Sparling for North Carolina’s Tar Heels, and Natasha Turner for Duke’s Blue Devils.
They said it
“This is why we love playing our rivals; they bring out the best in you. ... We always get fired up for Carrboro, and we’ve got East Chapel Hill coming up next week (April 15 at Chapel Hill.) These sort of games help you get ready for the playoffs.” Jason Curtis.
“They’re a really good team. We didn’t come away with a win, but we didn’t come away with a loss. That’s okay against a team this good.” Jared Drexler.
This story was originally published April 8, 2016 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Chapel Hill, Carrboro draw 0-0 in soccer."