The Hurricanes women’s soccer team finished its season with an impressive 2-1 victory over Wake Forest on Sunday afternoon at Cobb Stadium.
The win brings a nice end to a rough season for the Canes, who finished the year 4-13-1 overall and 2-7-1 in the ACC. The loss ends Wake Forest’s season at an overall record of 5-9-3 and 3-5-2 in ACC play.
“When we play great soccer we accomplish a lot,” Hurricanes coach Mary-Frances Monroe said. “Today we were really plugged in and excited and came to perform and put the ball in the back of the net.”
The Hurricanes and the Demon Deacons ended the first half locked in a scoreless draw. The Canes created the best scoring chance of the half in the 11th minute when senior defender Maddie Simms entered a dangerous cross from the left sideline into the box that slipped by Wake Forest freshman goalkeeper Lindsay Preston and fell to Canes junior forward Natalie Moik, but Moik’s shot from 10 yards out sailed over the net.
Hurricanes senior forward and captain Ashley Flinn scored the first goal of the game and her first of the season in the 58th minute. Flinn received a perfect through ball by Moik that left her 1-on-1 against Preston 18 yards out and sent the ball into the back of the net after Preston blocked her first shot.
“It felt good, especially [since] it put us up, because most of the season we’ve been down,” Flinn said. “It’s definitely a surreal moment.”
Flinn battled with injuries for most of the season but somehow was able to come out and play her best game of the year on very little practice.
“I’m happy that she was healthy enough to play today,” coach Monroe said of her captain. “She hasn’t played her last few games. She hasn’t trained at all [this week].”
Sophomore midfielder Gianna Dal Pozzo put the Hurricanes up 2-0 in the 73rd minute after curving the ball into the bottom right corner of the net from a free kick just outside of the penalty box.
Wake Forest senior defender Kim Marshall ended Hurricanes senior goalkeeper Emily Lillard’s shutout in the 82nd minute on a penalty kick she buried in the right corner of the net that went just past the outstretched arms of Lillard.
The Hurricanes were able to hold on for their third win at home and second win in their last three games.
Along with Simms, Flinn and Lillard, the victory marked the end of the careers of midfielders Erin McGovern and Jasmine Villaverde.