No. 1 Tar Heels top hokies in the acc tournament

Patrick Campbell

November 11, 2020

Cary, N.C. - North Carolina beat Virginia Tech 1-0 to advance to the second round of the ACC tournament behind a goal from midfielder Brianna Pinto.

The rematch felt like deja vu for the Hokies. Tech spent most of the first half in their own end trying to hold off the Heels. North Carolina had five corner kicks in a row in the span of a minute early in the first half.

UNC and their offensive pressure finally produced a cross from midfielder Emily Fox that found the head of Pinto at the penalty marker to put the Heels up 1-0 in the 26th minute. This was the second straight time Pinto scored in the first half against the Hokies this season. North Carolina had a 12-3 lead in shots and a 10-1 lead in corners going into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

This second half was more of the same. North Carolina spent the entire second half in the Hokies' defensive third. Virginia Tech didn't register a single shot in the second half.

The Heels had multiple chances to add an insurance goal and it almost came in the 49th minute. There were multiple shots in the box before Pinto knocked another header in from the far side, but UNC forward Isabel Cox was called for a foul on Tech keeper Alia Skinner.

“I’m proud of the group and we’re proud of this fall season that we were able to get in after all that's going on in the world,” Virginia Tech head coach Chugger Adair said. “The opportunity to play and get 13 games in this season is great for the team and we’re looking forward to coming back in the spring.”

North Carolina finished ahead in shots 17-3 and in corners 15-1, but was held to one goal for the third time this year, the second time by Tech. The defending ACC champions advance to their eighth straight semifinals and 30th all time in the 33-year history of the ACC Tournament.

Virginia Tech (5-8, 4-4 ACC) will head home as their fall season comes to an end while North Carolina (10-0, 8-0 ACC) will face No. 9 Virginia at 8 p.m. on Friday.