Last Updated 3:40 PM, September 24, 2023
Maria Howell| NCAA.com

Dramatic last-second goal forces draw in No. 1 UNC vs. No. 3 Florida State

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Anson Dorrance trivia, with the Hall of Fame coach himself
4:43
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6:44 pm, September 24, 2023

Let's review 🔄

After a neck-and-neck performance that saw No. 1 UNC respond twice, it was No. 3 FSU's dramatic last-second goal that determined the final score of the highly anticipated Top-3 matchup. The Heels saw one short glimpse of victory scoring a go-ahead goal in the 85th minute before the Noles ripped a volley off a corner and paralyzed all hopes of a Carolina win.

UNC vs FSU


Here are a few of the determining moments in the rollercoaster match.

Following the Noles' go-ahead goal in the 62nd minute, hall-of-fame UNC coach Anson Dorrance made a slew of substitutions that shifted the momentum of the game contesting the FSU backline with a fresh set of combinations. The Heels managed their second equalizer of the match in the 76th before bringing on more changes to keep up the steady thrust towards goal. Just a few minutes after reentering the game, it was leading finisher Ally Sentnor whose world-class run into the box gave the Heels their first lead of the match.

The Noles' though, had different plans. FSU has displayed their relentless comeback spirit already this season with rallies over Syracuse and Clemson and today was no different. Overcoming the hooting Carolina home crowd, the Noles tapped in the astonishing last-second goal that ended in a dog-pile celebration and a well-earned point on the road.

Although both teams remain undefeated, the draw muddles the Nole's perfect record to 7-0-1 on the season and adds a fourth draw to UNC's 7-0-4 record.

6:13 pm, September 24, 2023

FSU ties it up in the last second🤯

What a game. What an ending. FSU scores off a corner with a second left on the clock and locks in the 3-3 draw, stunning the Carolina home crowd. 
5:56 pm, September 24, 2023

UNC equalizes 😮‍💨

The Heels circled the Noles' box and Maddie Dahlien launched a shot from out wide that deflected off a defender and landed in the net. Dahlien, who assisted UNC's first goal, notched her first of the season and leveled the scoreboard at 2-2. The point is only the second goal FSU has allowed in the second half of a game this season.  
4:57 pm, September 24, 2023

Tied at the half 😵

After a physical half with choppy stints of possession on both ends of the pitch, the top-ranked teams walked into the locker rooms with a goal apiece. The Noles' defense survived an intense start to the game with UNC's aggressive offense delivering five shots and four corners in the first ten minutes alone. The Noles capitalized on a missed Heels' pass and countered to earn the first point of the game and settle the tempo of the game.

The teams went back and forth for the majority of the half until a missed UNC penalty kick seemed to ignite the Heels' offense to convert with a grainy tap-in equalizer — earning Ally Sentnor her fourth goal of the season. 

 

4:29 pm, September 24, 2023

The Noles are on the board 🎯

One shot, one goal. That's all it took for FSU to bury the ball into the back of the net off a counter-attack after enduring a barrage of Heels' corners and shots. Freshman Jordyn Dudley received a through ball just inside the box and cut across the UNC defender to position herself one-on-one with the goalie and slide a shot into the side netting. 
 
3:24 pm, September 24, 2023

How to watch the Top-5 throw down

🗓️ Sunday, Sep. 24
⏰ 12:00 p.m. ET 
📍Chapell Hill, N.C. Dorrance Field
📺 ESPNU

2:54 pm, September 24, 2023

Why this match hits different...🫣

One hour until No. 1 and No. 3 take the pitch at Dorrance Field and the energy between the two squads could not be more tense. The last time they met was at the semifinals of the College Cup and before that, the ACC Championship finals — FSU claiming the first encounter and UNC the ladder. So no, this isn't just some close conference matchup, it's a saga of hard-fought tackles, gut-punching losses and euphoric celebrations that will all clash in today's episode of Heels vs. Noles action.  
8:28 pm, September 21, 2023

Heels vs. Noles over the years

The first matchup between the two ACC programs was in 1995 when the Heels hosted and beat the Seminoles in double overtime. Since then, the two have shared the pitch over 40 times, UNC leads with 31 wins and FSU holds 12 wins. Here are the results from the teams' past ten matchups — including the 2018 College Cup final where FSU earned the program's second-ever national title. 

North Carolina, Florida St. Past ten matchups: dates, location and results
DATE SEASON LOCATION SCORE
Friday, December 2 2022-23 Cary, N.C. UNC 3, FSU 2
Sunday, November 6 2022-23 Cary, N.C. UNC 1, FSU 2
Thursday, October 20 2022-23 Tallahassee, Fla FSU 1, UNC 2
Thursday, October 21 2021-22 Chapel Hill, N.C. UNC 2, FSU 2 (2OT)
Sunday, November 15 2020-21 Cary, N.C. UNC 2, FSU 3
Thursday, October 24 2019-20 Chapel Hill, N.C. UNC 2, FSU 0
Sunday, December 2
* College Cup Final		 2018-19 Cary, N.C. UNC 0, FSU 1
Sunday, November 4 2018-19 Cary, N.C. UNC 2, FSU 3
Friday, September 14 2018-19 Tallahassee, Fla. FSU 0, UNC 1
Sunday, October 29 2017-18 Cary, N.C. UNC 2, FSU 1
9:23 pm, September 21, 2023

Impressive stats 👀 📊

The Heels (6-0-3)

  • UNC was ranked first in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll.
  • The Heel's defense has only allowed four goals this season and has consistently kept opponents at or under 11 shots in each game.
  • Senior Avery Patterson leads the team with four goals so far, last season she totaled 13 finishes.

The Noles (6-0)

  • FSU has a perfect record on the road (4-0), claiming wins over No. 9 TCU and No. 8 Clemson — the Noles are the only team in the country boasting two top-10 ranked road victories
  • Junior Taylor Huff leads the team and the conference in assists (5) and ranks fourth in the NCAA.
  • Eight different Seminoles have scored in the squad's past six games, with goal scorers spanning across all classes.